High Court Judge, Justice Alusine Sesay has discharged the third accused, Abraham John and convicted the first and second accused, Victor Hego Kamara and Robert Paine, respectively, being staff of the Political Party Registration Commission (PPRC) for misappropriation of public funds.
The judge decided the fate of these accused on the 2nd February 2016 at the High Count of Freetown.
The first accused, PPRC Mediation Officer in Kenema, second accused, Mediation and Programmes Manager in Freetown and third accused, Registrar at the PPRC in Freetown were charged with 24 counts ranging from Misappropriation of Public Funds, Conspiracy to commit a corruption offence, offering and accepting an advantage contrary to the Anti-Corruption Act of 2008.
After the Judge had listened to the testimonies of over 10 witnesses and had examined exhibits tendered in court in respect of the case, he finally acquitted and discharged the third accused person for want of prosecution.
The judge however found the first accused guilty on 18 count charges and freed on 6 while the second accused was found guilty on three counts and freed on the others.
In their plea of mitigation, Lawyer Roland Wright representing the first accused pleaded with the judge to take into consideration the fact that the convict is a young man who had just started work and had a family to cater for.
He said the conviction alone has extremely limited his chances in life, adding that he had already learnt his lesson.
Defence Counsel informed the judge that the convict is under an unstable physical medical and therefore begged the judge to impose a fine on him rather than a custodian sentence.
The convict; Victor Kamara who was standing with a crutch was shedding tears while his lawyer was begging the judge on his behalf.
Lawyer Ibrahim Sorie Koroma, representing the second accused also pleaded with the Judge to tamper justice with mercy and for the Judge to consider a fine rather than a custodian sentence.
Responding, ACC Prosecutor, Abdul Raman Mansaray stated that according to the Act, the accused are to either pay a fine of thirty million Leones (Le30m) or serve three years jail term or both.
ACC Prosecutor urged the Judge to go for the stiffer punishment in order to send a message to others that might want to engage in corrupt practices.
Reading the sentence, Justice Sesay said he had listened to both the prosecution and the defence, stating that the monies that were syphoned are donor funds meant for electioneering process in the country.
“Syphoning of donor funds has become rampant in Sierra Leone,” Judge disclosed, adding that such act had destroyed the good image of the country.
Nonetheless, he fined the first accused thirty million Leone (Le 30,000,000) to be paid within six months and was ordered to refund the sum of Le30,000,000 to the PPRC while the second accused was fined twenty million Leones (Le20,000,000) and also ordered to refund ten million four hundred thousand Leones(Le 10,400,000) to the PPRC within six months.
By Emmanuella Kallon
Thursday February 04, 2016
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