Barely two days after the first person was caught trying to register twice on the new biometric machines, another person (this time a woman) has also fallen foul of the law by attempting to register twice at Tassoh Island, Ward 348, in Constituency 97.
Michael Abdulai the Assistant NEC Registrar in Ward 348 told Awoko that on the 24th January, the suspect first registered at the center with the name Titi Bangura with a date of birth recorded as 5th July 1984 and her address as 21 Paris Street, Tassoh Island stating her occupation as trading. The suspect, he explained gave her father’s name as Hassan Bangura with her mother’s name as Yeabu Koroma and that she went through the process and was issued with the registration slip at the end.
The NEC Assistant Registrar further disclosed that on the 31st January, the same woman went to register again but this time with the name Isatu Sesay; place of birth as Tassoh; address as 15th Paris Street, Tassoh Island and her date of birth as 4th September 1976. She gave her occupation as a fish monger, her father’s name as Hassan Bangura and her mother’s name as Zainab Bangura.
Michael Abdulai explained that the suspect went through the process and her photo and finger prints were also taken. However, as the Data Operator, Abraham Tucker clicked the save button, both photos of the same woman appeared with the different identification details showing clearly on the computer screen.
Consequent upon this, Mr. Abdulai furthered, the woman was arrested and she was handed over to police officer, PC 13165 Kanu A. of the Kissy Mess Mess Police Station attached to the registration team.
In discussion with the suspect, she disclosed to Awoko that she had misplaced the first registration slip issued to her at her initial registration which she failed to inform the registration team, and instead decided to do another registration.
However, the Assistant Registrar at the centre explained that there is a special form to be filled for such cases, which will allow the person concerned to go through another registration; only if the individual reports the matter to the center where he or she had earlier registered.
However, taking the suspect out of the Island became a serious dilemma, as all efforts by PC 13165 Kanu A. to put the suspect onboard a boat became virtually impossible. This was not because she physically struggled, but because the boat owners on the Island suddenly decided that they would not run their boats anymore on that day even though some had earlier expressed the desire to go out fishing.
It was understood that the suspect has close relationships with almost all of the boat operators and owners and as such they were not prepared to render their service to the journalist and Police officer and effect the transfer of their relation, who had been declared as being under arrest.
The police officer and his suspect spent the whole of yesterday soliciting boat service to Freetown but to no avail. As a matter of fact, the attitude of the Islanders instilled fear in both the police and the journalist as they feared that if nightfall were to meet them on the island they stood the risk of being harmed in an effort to free their relation.
A speed boat was then hired by Awoko from the Kissy Terminal to the Tassoh Island at an exorbitant cost since it was an emergency and a reporter was believed to be in imminent danger and under seige. To the surprise of the Tassoh Islanders the boat arrived unannounced and the Awoko reporter and the police officers were quickly brought down to Freetown and the suspect was immediately whisked off to the Kissy Mess Mess Police Station for further interrogation.
By Alhaji M. Kamara
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