By: Mohamed Sahr
Luseni Amara, Mohamed Fullah, Vandi Sombi and Kadiatu Sheriff, all farmers resided at Tessor testified in court before Justice Adrian Fisher on Monday at the High Court of Sierra Leone in Freetown during the cross-examination by both defendant counsel and the complainant counsel about the damaged of their farm land by Sierra Rutile and Africa Lion Agriculture (ALA) with the pretext of making compensation to them.
During the cross-examination by Francis Charles Margai Esq who served in the capacity as the Defence Counsel, the first witness Luseni Amara told the court that he recognized his thumbprint at the time when the Crop Assessment Voucher was given to him after Sierra Rutile and Africa Lion Agriculture (ALA) had assessed his farm. He said the two companies promised to give him money in the form of compensation for the crop he planted which was damaged but nothing was given to him in the end. The first witness Amara added that the two companies went through the town chief at Tessor for him to make a thumbprint which he did after his farm land had destroyed.
Macualey Esq who served as the complainant made no objection to the cross-examination but similarly proceeded to do the same in order to beat the ground by cross-examining the first witness. The process was transmitted through an interpreter who interpreted exactly all of the questions posed by the two counsels to the witnesses. For the first witness, he emphasized on the same answer that was provided to the Defence Counsel.
The second witness Mohamed Fullah who was also a farmer and resident of Tessor told the court that he used to plant crops in his farm when Sierra Rutile and Africa Lion Agriculture (ALA) came and destroyed his plantation with the view that he had to be compensated for the damaged but he did not receive nothing in the form of money from the two companies. He testified that he was given a Crop Assessment Voucher in order to make a thumbprint which he did through the collaboration of the Town Chief in Tessor.
On the same vein, counsel for the complainant Macualey Esq had the opportunity to make his own corss-examination which the second witness Mohamed Fullah exclaimed his similar statement about the failure of the two companies not to provide compensation for the damaged of his farm land.
Vandi Sombi, a farmer and third witness informed the court that he used to farm in his farm land when Sierra Rutile and Africa Lion Agriculture (ALA) put a hand on the affairs of his farm by damaging all the crops he grew with the surest position that they would provide money to him in the form of compensation which the two companies realistically failed to their demand.
He told the court that he planted cashew nut in his farm when it was destroyed and Africa Lion Agriculture went ahead to plant palm trees in his own farm which he was deprived from. Vandi Sombi furthered that he had been a farmer for over fifty (50) years. When he was asked Macualey Esq who was representing Sierra Rutile Company and Africa Lion Agriculture as to cost of the damaged, told the court that he was expecting fourteen billion Leones as his compensation from 2015 to date.
Kadiatu Sheriff, a farmer and the final witness for the cross-examination said in December 2013, Africa Lion Agriculture (ALA) went in her farm in order to make an assessment. After the necessary check, she was given a Crop Assessment Voucher for her to tender her thumbprint which she did. As a farmer, she planted varieties of crop like cassava, potatoes, yam, pepper to name but few. She used to sale crops as well for consumption. She revealed that the two companies counted her crops and promised to pay a compensation after the damaged. According to her, the companies neither pay the money nor work on their demand in the voucher.
Cross-examinations ended and no objection was raised. Justice Fisher adjourned the matter to the 7th October 2023.