High Court Judge, Alusine Sesay said he will soon discharge a case of murder involving Fatmata Finda Bangura. The judge urged her to exercise patience.
The accused, the former Public Education Officer of the Anti- Corruption Commission, allegedly killed her husband, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Hassan Bangura, six years ago.
The case went through preliminary investigations at the Magistrate Court and was committed for trial before Justice Margai at the High Court in Freetown. At the end of the trial, there was disagreement among the empanelled jurors as to whether she was innocent or not. Some of them declared her guilty while others said she was not guilty of the offence. This is called a “hung jury”.
The presiding Judge therefore ordered that the matter be re-tried. The accused was put on bail.
It is close to four years since the matter was transferred to be re-tried before Justice Alusine Sesay. No progress has been made in the case. There is also a continual challenge in empanelling jurors.
The Judge, on Friday 20 April 2018, said if the he could not proceed with the matter, the accused should be discharged. He assured the accused that they will soon end the matter. He adjourned the case. EDB/21/4/18
By Edna Browne-Dauphine
Monday April 23, 2018.
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