By Janet A. Sesay
Justice Alusine Sesay on Monday 17th May 2021 discharged Abdul Karim Kamara and ordered him to pay the complainant eight hundred and forty-five thousand Leones.
The accused was arraigned on a count of malicious damage, which is contrary to Section 51 of the Malicious Damage Act of 1951.
It was alleged by police that the accused, on 8th August 2019, maliciously damaged a steel door, which is valued at eight hundred thousand Leones, and a box of tiles, valued at forty-five thousand Leones. The destroyed items sum up to eight hundred and forty-five thousand Leones. They are properties belonging to the complainant, Emmanuel Aiah.
The accused pleaded guilty to the offence.
State prosecutor, Joseph Sesay, stated that the accused has pleaded guilty and was asking the bench to accept his plea for him to be sentenced accordingly. He said that the accused went through a preliminary investigation at the Magistrate Court and was committed to the High Court for trial.
The committal warrant of the accused was tendered in court and was marked as exhibit A.
In her plea of mitigation, on behalf of the accused, Cecilia Tucker asked the judge to temper justice with mercy. According to her, the accused has not wasted the time of the court. Besides, he is a first time offender who has never been put on bail.
State prosecutor Joseph Sesay told the court that the accused was at first charged with the offence of burglary, but in March 2020 the charge was changed to malicious damage. So he was not granted him bail on the first charge.
Joseph Sesay furthered that the penalty for such an offence is two years imprisonment with an alternative of life imprisonment.
He said that the accused had been in custody from 2019 and had even surpassed his sentencing. He discharged the accused and made an order that he should pay the said money to the complainant within thirty days.
In another development, Sorie Kamara also made his first appearance before the Judge at the criminal session and was remanded in custody.
The accused was charged on two counts of conspiracy, shop breaking and larceny, which are all contrary to the laws of Sierra Leone.
The charge sheet states that the accused, on 4th May 2020 in Freetown, conspired together with other persons unknown to commit a felony, to wit shop breaking and larceny.
The charge sheet furthered that the accused, on the same day, broke and entered into the shop of Amadu Saw and stole therein three techno mobile cannon phones, which are valued at six million Leones, and other valuable properties. They all sum up to thirty-eight million, eight hundred and seventy thousand Leones, which properties belong to Amadu Saw.
The accused pleaded not guilty to the offence.
Defense counsel Cecilia Tucker made an application for bail on behalf of the accused, but the judge refused bail on the grounds that the offence is very serious.
The accused was remanded in custody and the matter was assigned to Justice Sulaiman Bah for hearing on the 24th May 2021.