By: Hafsatu Z Bangura
After spending almost, a year in jail, the popular rap-star Amadu Bah ‘Boss LAJ’, was on Monday found guilty of robbery and Assault by Justice Adrian Fisher of the High Court of Sierra Leone.
Justice Fisher disclosed that the maximum sentence for such an offence is fifteen years imprisonment but wanted the accused to speak to his Lawyer and on the next adjourned date, he would decide what to say in his ‘allocutus’. He added that whatever the accused says would determine his judgment.
The rapper was arraigned before the Court on four count indictments ranging from robbery contrary to section 23(2) of the larceny act of 1916, and inflicting grievous bodily harm contrary to section 20 of the Offences against the Persons Act of 1861.
The charge sheet states that LAJ on Sunday 12th June 2022 in Freetown robbed Ishmael Kamara off four million, two hundred thousand Leones.
It furthered that LAJ also robbed one Christiana Koroma of one Techno mobile phone valued at one million, six hundred thousand (old) Leones, and on the same day maliciously inflicted grievous bodily harm on Musa Mansaray.
Before he was found guilty, the Learned Judge stated that the State Prosecutor Yusuf Isaac Sesay called eight witnesses to testify in Court on behalf of the Prosecution.
Justice Fisher noted that the Prosecution tendered several exhibits before the Court including the endorsed medical report of Ishmael, Francess and Musa.
He added that the Voluntary Caution and Charge Statements of the accused were also tendered.
He said one Techno mobile phone and fiscal cash were also tendered in Court as part of the exhibits and the committal warrant of the accused from the Magistrate Court was also tendered.
The accused in his statements said at the Police Station, that they paid for the fuel and returned the phone hoping that the matter would be settled peacefully.
Justice Fisher said the accused in his statement did not deny being at the scene nor denied that there was an altercation between Bugu and Francess.
He said the accused was arrested at Kissy Road which is six meters out of the scene and he would not have returned the phone nor paid the money if he was not arrested.
In his plea mitigation, Lawyer Fofanah said they would abide by the judgment until further instructions are given.
He pleaded with the Judge to temper justice with mercy on his client adding that, the accused has put his best behaviour during the trial even though he went under operation but still maintains.
He furthered that the accused is a well-known personality in the country and he has been in prison since June without bail.
Lawyer Fofanah also pleaded that the accused be given the opportunity to return to his family as he is getting older and wiser.
After listening to the plea mitigation by Defense counsel, Justice Fisher said the accused should focus on his music which he has started adding that, he could do a lot for a person who wants to go into music.
