By: Hafsatu Z Bangura
Jackie Harouni a Christian has on the 26th May continued her testimony in chief led by State Prosecutor V.E.A Kabia Esq at the High Court no.2 in Freetown.
According to the witness in her last testimony she said her hair was braided at the time of the incident and that she was bereaved at the time.
She said the 3rd accused person squeezed her throat, pulled her with her hair and pushed her to the sofa and threatened to rape her.
She said her eldest Son Jamil Harouni was inside her room and that he came outside and told the 3rd accused that the accused will rather kill him than rape his mother and the 3rd accused and another called Shaggi whom she said was not caught fought his eldest son and dragged him inside the room again while she was outside in the living room.
She narrated that during the course of the attack it was her late husband’s seven day`s funeral ceremony and that she was with her four kids, her nephew, and 3 girls of a friend of her’s who worked at NACSA.
She continued that the second accused then pointed something on her daughter’s desk Christina Harouni as she shouted out to her, “mama they are pointing something on my neck”.
She said at the time she was confused as to what to do to help save her children and others as she said the accused persons were all over the house.
She said the accused persons took the money, and the 3rd accused and another guy she said pulled down her travelling bags that contained Jewelries, mobile phones, and the money and packed them.
She described the incident that the accused persons attacked her and family as she said they collected phones from other ladies who were with her.
Shaggi said she called the rest of the accused persons who she said we’re downstairs at her son’s apartment for them to go as it was 4am I the morning Mrs Harouni said.
She went on that they ran and called out her ladies name Mabinty who came with a small boy and that Mabinty carried the bag.
She said they came with a vehicle but some of the accused persons ran in different directions some she said ran through Quarry, and other she said ran through Smart farm and one of the accused dropped her TV infront of her gate and left without the car and her Son chases after them shouting after them.
She furthermore testified that after the accused persons left she, her kids, her nephew and her nannies went to the back of the compound and met the 1st accused person seated and said to him “You see watin appin” (you saw what just happened) whilst the other security Kazim and a friend named Kebbie who lived together at the boys quarter were tied up and covered with mattress and had bruises all over them.
Mrs Harouni said the 1st accused told her that he managed to untie himself.
She said immediately she ran to her son’s apartment and took her son’s phone and dialed her relative whom she said owns Alie Jewelries and immediately officers were sent to her house.
Mrs Jackie Harouni Prosecution Witness said the officers asked her for the securities and they were investigated and upon investigations, she said the 1st accused told the officers that he saw a little boy with a guy named Sexy who came with the thieves inside the compound and that upon receiving this information he was arrested.
She said in her cross examination by Defense Counsel C.Taylor Young Esq that Kebbie has been working for her for over 5years whilst Alpha she said has only been working for her for three months and that she met the 1st accused Alpha Bangura at Lumley.
She said upon such information given to the police by the 1st accused person he was arrested.
Defense Counsel C.Taylor Young Esq from Legal Aid Board made an application to with draw his representation from the 3rd and 4th accused persons due to contradictory statements made by them and will only represent the 1st accused person Alpha Bangura.
Mrs Harouni said she was told to go for medical but could not do so at the time that it was the seven days ceremony of her late husband who had just passed away.
She continued that she later made statements to the police and identification parade was done in which she said she identified the accused persons because their faces weren’t covered and that she had been helping these accused persons.
The matter has been adjourned to the 30th August 2022.
The accused persons she said were 13 of them but only three of them were caught.
The accused persons were standing trial on two counts of Conspiracy and Robbery with Aggravation.
The 1st accused person Alpha Bangura was represented by C.Taylor Young Esq from Legal Aid Board and the 2nd accused Sulaiman Kamara and 3rd accused Abdul Bangura were unrepresented.
V.E.A Kabia Esq State Prosecutor and C.Taylor Young Esq for the 1st accused person.
