By Janet Sesay
Magistrate Hannah Bonnie of the Pademba Road Court No.1 on Friday remanded seventeen accused persons at the Correctional Centre.
The accused were alleged of arming themselves with cutlasses and knives and robbed Rev. Mary Magdalene and nineteen others at their St Joseph’s Convent Parish compound situated at Moyamba district and stole assorted mobile phones and other valuable properties all amounting to thirty Million Leones.
Some of the accused include: Amadu Turay, Abdul Gibawo, Alfred Gbassay Sandi, Musa Koroma, Momoh Bangura, Abdulia Kanu, Ansumana Charles, Thomas Willoby, Banger Tarawali and eight others.
The accused were charged to court on seventeen-count charges ranging from conspiracy, robbery with aggravation, Larceny, Assault and carrying offensive weapons all contrary to the laws of Sierra Leone.
The charged sheet indicated that the accused on Monday 20th May 2019 at St Joseph Convent, Moyamba district, broke and entered into the compound of Reverend Mary Magdalene and nineteen others and stole assorted mobile phones and other valuable properties, all amounting to thirty million Leones.
Led in evidence by Inspector Gbassy Fofanah, the Council Chairman of Moyamba district, Joseph Benedict Bundu recognized the accused persons in the dock and recalled the 20th May, 2019.
He said on that day at 2a.m he got a call from Angela Sesay, one of the victims and she gave him information about the accused persons.
He furthered that based upon that information, he went into his car and drove to the Moyamba Police station and made a report and was accompanied by three police officers who were armed with guns and they drove to the St Joseph’s Convent compound where the accused were doing the robbery.
Joseph furthered explained to the court that upon their arrival at the compound, he saw the accused persons holding cutlasses in their hands and they were beating and also demanding money from the people.
He said when the police officers came down the vehicle, the accused persons ran away and that they tried to catch them but they were unable to get them save the first accused (Amadu Turay), and he was taken to the police station.
He said at the police station, they interviewed the first accused person who gave them information about the robbery and called out the names of the other accused persons and explained to them how they will be able to trace them.
He stated that based upon the information given to them by the first accused person, he and the police were able to arrest the other accused persons.
He stated that after they have apprehended the other accused persons they were taken to the Moyamba Police Station and later referred to the Criminal Investigation Department at Pademba Road and made statements to the police.
Reverend Mary Magdalene also testified that on the same day around 2 a.m she was fast asleep when she heard noise inside the compound and she went over to the room of Sister Patricia and woke her up and both of them came to the corridor of the parlor, and when they watched through the window, they saw three of the accused persons climbing up the window until they reached the first floor of the house where they stay
She said when the three accused persons got to the first floor, they broke the door and entered into the parlor and saw the accused persons holding knives and cutlasses in their hands and they held her and Sister Patricia tightly and demanded money from them.
Reverend said she felt sorry for the accused persons and asked them why are they doing such a thing, but they did not answer her and two of the accused persons took Sister Patricia by hand and told her to lead the way to her room.
She said while she was at the parlor, she heard sister Patricia screaming inside the room and she asked the accused person who was with her to take her to the room of sister Patricia and when she was taken there she pleaded with them not to hurt her and the accused persons took sister Patricia’s phones and other expensive things from her room.
She said after a while they heard vehicle coming into the compound and the accused ran away and she later made a statement to the police.
Both witnesses were crossed examined by the accused persons.
They were denied bail by the magistrate and the matter was adjourned to 25th July 2019.