By: Hafsatu Z Bangura
Rapper Alhaji Amadu Bah alias LAJ has been sent back to prison by Justice Adrian Fischer after the first hearing of his matter at the high court on Friday 7th October.
In a jam-packed courtroom which accommodated family members, friends and musicians, Counsel for the State, Yusif Isaac Sesay made application for an amendment on the indictment seeking for the addition of one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm so therefore to now amount to four counts rather than the initial three before the charges are put to the accused {LAJ} and evidence led.
Yusif said the count forms the basis for which the matter was before the court and shouldn’t cause injustice or embarrassment as cost on the accused.
Alhaji Amadu Bah he said was arraigned on the said number of count charges at the preliminary investigations stage of the matter at the Magistrate court.
The State Prosecutor said the indictment is not barred in law but defective. He said he has five witnesses or even more to the new amendment.
Lead Defense Counsel Pa Momoh Fofanah agreed that such count was part of the initial indictment, but had problems with the Prosecution making it an entire context.
On principle, Justice Fischer said the Prosecutor was not wrong, so he granted the order of amendment.
LAJ has been in detention since his arrest by the police on 14th June 2022 and throughout his trial so far. The judge issued an order for the accused to be re-examined medically before Wednesday to make his medical record up to date from the one dated 5th July 2022. His bail is to be determined at the next adjourned date of Friday 14th October 2022.
On 16th August 2022, Magistrate Mark Ngegba of the Freetown Pademba road Court number one committed the matter of the state versus Alhaji Amadu Bah alias LAJ to the high court for trial based on the evidence which he said had been adduced by the Prosecution at the Preliminary Investigations.
The rapper was charged on four counts of robbery with violence, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
He allegedly went to Leonco gas station at around 3pm on the 12 June 2022, assaulted and took the sum of 2 million 90 thousand Leones from pump attendant Francess Wilson, also assaulted and took away four million, two hundred thousand Leone from Ishmail Kamara, in the same vein assaulted and took the Tecno mobile phone of one Christiana Koroma and assaulted Francess Wilson, Ishmail Kamara and Musa Mansaray.
In another matter, Jessie Jengo, Lawyer for Alfred Peter Conteh, Interim Chairman of the APC Party has told Justice Adrian Fischer of the high court that Lawyers for the defendants have served him but objected to the capacity for the appointment of such Solicitors.
Mr. Jengo was addressing the high court Judge on a motion of contempt against Alfred, in the matter of Alfred Peter Conteh versus Ernest Bai Koroma and others.
The Lawyer for the Plaintiff Contemnior said that by Wednesday 12th October he would have filed an affidavit in opposition, and written submission. Counsels for the defendants said they look forward to replying the following day upon receipt of the said application.
The Presiding judge Justice Adrian Fischer promised giving each party maximum of one hour on Monday 17th October to argue their case.
At the end of it, Alfred Peter Conteh could be fined by the court, jailed or relieved of the allegation of contempt.
