By Janet A Sesay
Thirty-one accused were yesterday arraigned before Magistrate Hannah Bonnie of Pademba Road Court No.1 for the second time, as they were alleged to have killed Alie Kabia and maliciously set fire at the Lunsar Police Station and the residence of the Chief of Marampa.
The accused include Mohammed Kanu, Alhaji Musa Bangura, Anthony Fofanah, Fonti Sankoh, Ishmeal Mansaray, Bai Kamara, Yusuf Jalloh, Foday Sesay, Ibrahim Kamara and Sawadatu Bangura, among others.
Shortly after the matter was mentioned, the State Prosecutor, Adrian Fisher, applied for an amendment of the file pursuant to section 105 of the Criminal Procedure Act of 1965. He said that two other accused, involved in the matter, were arrested on warrant yesterday. So they needed to include them with the other accused already before the court, adding that they could proceed with them together and not on a different file for the same offence.
Lead defense counsel, M. Korrie, said they are not averse to the amendment made by the prosecutor since there is no evidence led by any witness.
He said they, as defense, are asking the prosecution to put their house in order since the accused have been in detention for over two months. He told the court that the prosecution should come prepared on the next adjourned date in order for them to get a speedy trial.
The application for the amendment was granted by the Magistrate and the matter was adjourned to the 1st July 2020.
The accused are arraigned on fourteen counts ranging from conspiracy to commit murder, arson, malicious damage and larceny, which are all contrary to the laws of Sierra Leone.
The indictment indicates that the accused, on diverse dates between 1st and 30th April 2020 at Lunsar town in Port Loko district, murdered Alie Kabia. Again, on the same day and place, the accused conspired together with other persons unknown to maliciously set fire on the dwelling houses of Solomon Soloita Conteh and the Paramount Chief of Marampa Chiefdom, Koblo Queen II, and also set fire on a Nissan Pathfinder vehicle belonging to Shekuba whilst in the custody of the Lunsar Police Station.
The indictment continues that the accused also, on Thursday 30th April 2020 at Lunsar Total Fuel Station, maliciously damaged two fuel dispenser pumps, valued at two hundred Euros, equivalent to twenty-nine million, two hundred and fifty thousand leones (Le29,250,000), two lubracs, each valued three hundred Euros, equivalent to seven million and twenty thousand leones (Le7,020,000), one unit air condition, valued five million leones (Le5,000,000), three windows each, valued one million leones (Le1,000,000) and other properties, which all amount to forty-six million and twenty thousand leones (Le46,020,000), which is the property of Total Fuel Station.
The accused also damaged seventy window panes each, valued twenty thousand leones (Le 20,000), one white Toyota Land Cruiser vehicle with registration number SLP 323, valued $50,000, which is equivalent to five hundred million leones and other properties. They all sum up to five hundred and eleven million, four hundred thousand leones (Le 511, 400,000), which are all properties of the Sierra Leone Police.