High Court Judge presiding over cases in the ongoing Judicial Week, Honorable Justice Manuela Harding has on the 2nd February, 2022 discharged 19-year-old Laborer, Mohamed Sow and 29-year-old Mahmoud Mansaray for want of prosecution.
Sow was before the court on a one count indictment of Robbery with Aggravation contrary to Section 23 (1) (a) of the Larceny Act of 1916 as repealed and replaced by section 2 of the Act No. 16 of 1971.
It was alleged that the accused on Saturday 27th November 2021 at Jui Junction, Waterloo Highway in the Waterloo Judicial District, being armed with bottle, robbed one Alhaji Kargbo.
29-year-old Electrician, Mahmoud Mansaray was also discharged of one count indictment of Fraudulent Conversion contrary to section 20 (1) (IV) (a) of the Larceny Act of 1916 for want of prosecution.
Mansaray was in September 2021, at Goderich in Freetown alleged to have fraudulently converted to his own use or benefit certain properties including one TVS Motor Tricycle, wheel screen, one Motor Tricycle Battery and other items all valued at Four Million One Hundred Thousand Leones (Le 4,100,000).
Justice Harding admitted to bail Motorcycle Rider, Mohamed Lamin Conteh of fraudulent conversion, and Marketer Ibrahim Tarawally for Larceny and Osman Bah for fraudulent conversion.
The decision was reached after the Application for bail made by Defence Lawyer, Lamin J. Kamara, from Legal Aid Board, for and on behalf of the accused persons wasn’t objected to by State Prosecutor, Robin Mason Jr.
In another related development, Supreme Court Judge who’s presiding over cases at the Waterloo Magistrate’s Court in the ongoing Judicial Week, Honorable Justice Alusine Sesay (JSC) has completed the review of 15 rulings delivered by various Magistrates in the Western Area of Freetown against accused persons, convicts and inmates.
The cases are part of a total of one thousand and thirteen (1,013) assigned to 26 judges across the country for review for which inmates had been incarcerated awaiting trial without indictments, those on prolonged adjournments due to lack of empanelled jurors, those who’ve been admitted to bail but are unable to fulfill their bail conditions to secure their release and those serving unjustifiable and disproportionate sentences from Magistrates.
This move is part of the Honorable Chief Justice’s continued commitment to make justice more accessible in a transparent and accountable manner.