Supporters and family members of the SLPP constituency 104, ward 369 Councillor, Mohamed Kanu-Mansaray and three other accused persons on the alleged kidnapping matter before magistrate Komba Kamanda of court No.2, past Friday turned the law court environs to a market centre by using all sorts of obscene languages.
The accused persons are Mohamed Kanu-Mansaray, Gibrilla Conteh, Baimaru Conteh and Hindolo Moseray.
It all started when the court clerk mentioned the said matter, and counsels announcing their representations for both the prosecution and defence.
Before the prosecution called their first witness in the matter, lawyer Gerald J. Soyei, representing the prosecution made an amendment in the particulars of offence under count two, pursuance to section 112 of the Criminal Procedure Act (CPA) in order to meet with the official circumstances of the case.
Led in evidence by lawyer G.J. Soyei, Mohamed Koroma, PW1 dressed in yellow T-Shirt covered with a black jean coat and red long trousers, stated that he is a bike rider (Okada) plying the route from Moyamba junction to Moyamba Town and admitted knowing all accused persons on Friday 27 January this year, the day the incident happened at Moyamba junction.
He disclosed that it was Hindolo Moseray (forth accused) that asked him for the price of fuel which he replied as Le 7,000 (seven thousand Leones) per litre, which led to his being abused by Hindolo. He added that Mohamed Kanu-Mansaray, the councillor (first accused) asked Hindolo to stop abusing him and ordered Hindolo to pay for the fuel.
According to the witness, Hindolo give him Le 30,000 (thirty thousand Leones) for the fuel, but as he went to collect the fuel Hindolo stopped him and requested that the money be refunded as the fuel was not available at the moment. The witness maintained that after refunding the money Hindolo, Gibrilla and Baimaru rushed at him and forced him inside their jeep back boot, and they drove to mile 91 where the witness received a phone call, in which the accused persons asked for the road leading to the police station, as Baimaru saw the witness when he received the call, but they did not go their but instead used the road leading to Masiaka.
“On our way to Masiaka, one of my friend Lamin Bangura came with a bike ordering the accused persons to stop their jeep, but Hindolo told the drive to hit the bike if he comes before the jeep again,” he explained
Magistrate stood down the court for a while for the corridor and windows of the court to be cleared as viewers had filled the whole place, and the police officers together with the OSD’s asked everyone standing inside the court and the windows to go out.At Masiaka according to the witness, the accused person took him to the police station were they made statement against him that he is an armed robber who tried to rob them. But when he gave his name and address to the police officer, the police recalled that he had been informed of someone being kidnapped from Moyamba with that same name.
Lawyer Soyei stated that there is no room for application to be made as he had the authority, adding that he is opposing to bail and he relied on his previous submission to maintain peace and order.
Lawyer Sulaiman Banja Tejan-Sie applied for bail for all accused persons, stating that in light of the evidence, they are even more ready to defend the accused persons as they have reliable sureties that are ready to stand on their behalf, adding that the first accused person is suffering from broken limb and he needs urgent medical attention.
Magistrate Komba Kamanda ruled that the first accused be given medical attention while in custody with the other accused persons.
Upon that pronouncement, family members, supporters started using obscene languages against the witness, prosecuting lawyer, whilst others are casting the blame on the ruling APC government as being undemocratic and fairing the opposition SLPP.
Police officers and OSDs, escorted both lawyer Soyei and the witness out of the court building to his office as the protesters threatened to beat the witness saying they are ready to go to jail with the accused persons.
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