September 2, 2021
By: Francis F.M. Harding
The Fourth Police Witness (PW4) who is the chairperson of the Moyamba District Council and a resident of No.17G Government Reservation Moyamba Joseph Benedict Mbogba has testified before Justice M.M. Sesay (JA) on the 31st August, 2021 for an alleged, robbery, conspiracy, rape and sexual violence matter.
According to police charged sheets, the accused persons are charged with robbery, rape and sexual violence which are contrary to the Laws of Sierra Leone. It is alleged in count one that the accused persons on the 19th May, 2019 broke and entered the dwelling apartments of Martha Lahai, Rev. Jean Lahai and stole items and raped one Martha Lahai.
Testifying in court, PW4 said he knew Martha Lahai and the accused persons in this matter. The chairperson continued to say that he knew Angela Sesay as worker at the Moyamba District Council and Victoria Precious Libby as a resident of Moyamba.
Mr. Mbogba said he recalled on the 19th May, 2019 as he was at his house sleeping when he got a distress call and he later discovered that it was Angela Sesay his colleague staff at the Moyamba District Council and she said “chairman armed robbers has attacked us at Rev. Jean Lahai resident, if you don’t come to our aid they are going to kill us”
Mr Mbogba said he immediately picked the key to his official vehicle and drove to the Moyamba Police Station. Witness said at the Police Station he met three police personnel who have also received similar calls but were not with a vehicle. Witness said he took the police personnel and drove to the scene of incident. “Upon arrival at the resident they met the 1st,3rd ,4th ,5th ,7th ,8t ,10th ,11th ,12th ,14th ,15th & 16th accused persons and they were all dressed in black and having machetes except for the first and sixteen who were moving with the motorbike” Said Mbogba.
Benedict said he drove with speed to enter the compound the first and second police personnel got off the vehicle and later the third police personnel who was armed get down.
“Myself together with the residents of the compound rushed at the same time Rev. Jean Lahai was lying on the ground naked and Martha Lahai was lying on the floor bleeding”, he narrated.
PW4 said that during the course of the incident the first accused person was arrested by Mr.Jalloh with the aid of the police and after the arrest of the first accused person he was handed to the police and he was taken to the Moyamba Police Station with a mobile phone. He continued to say that Rev. Jean Lahai and Martha Lahai were taken to the Moyamba Government Hospital for medical attention.
Witness said the police interrogated the first accused person in his presence and the first accused person gave vital information to the police that led to the arrest of the 3rd ,4th ,5th ,6th ,7th ,8th ,10th ,11th, 12th , 14th , 15th , & 16th accused persons.
“we are 19 in numbers that did this attack on the resident of Rev. Jean Lahai, 10 of them came outside Moyamba and they are strangers and 9 are indigenes of Moyamba town if you mount thorough search you are going to arrest all of them because they don’t know the area” First accused person said.
The chairperson said upon receiving that information from the first accused person ASP Yambasu made telephone calls to all the check points leading to the Moyamba in my presence. He said the 5th and 7th accused persons were arrested at the first check point and when they were searched they saw with the 5th accused with two mobile phones and the 7th accused with three mobile phones and another three accused persons were arrested at the same check point (4th, 11th & 12th).
Mr Mbogba said the 11 accused person was having a bag containing ipad, laptop, three mobile phones, the 4th accused person was having 2 mobile phones, the 16 accused person was later arrested at the check point with a bag containing 7 mobiles phones, laptop, tablet phone and wrist watch.
The witness continued to say the 11th accused person upon his arrest fought with him and he hit him with a stick on his left shoulder.
PW4 said the 2nd and 9th accused persons were arrested by the youth of the area and was taken to the Moyamba Police Station.
Under cross examination, defense Lawyer Komba Kanu asked PW 4 how many of the accused persons did he see on the day in question. PW4 said he saw 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th, 8th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 14th, 15th, & 16th, accused persons. Defense counsel asked witness to tell the court amongst the accused persons who were arrested in his presence. Witness said 1st, 4th, 5th, 7th, 8th, 10th, 11th, 12th, &16th accused person were arrested in front of me.
The accused persons Amadu Gibao, Alfred Gbassay Sandy, Musa Koroma, Abdulia Kanu, Ansumana Charles, Thomas Willoughby, Claudius Kajue, Banja Tarawallie, Samuel Alpha, Edward John, Ahmed Sesay, Vandy Kamara, Allieu Thoronka, John Sesay, and Alhaji Kamara are standing trial before Justice M.M. Sesay (JA). The matter has been adjourned to the 7th September, 2021 at 10: AM.