By Janet A Sesay
Six accused yesterday made their second appearance before Magistrate Hannah Bonnie of Pademba Road Court No. 1 in Freetown for allegedly kidnapping Detective Sergeant 7846 Nathaniel Lamin in a bush at Mamanor Village in Tonkolili district.
The accused are Emmanuel Bla, David Bla, Mohammed Bla, Alie Kamara, Abdulai Bangura and Abdulai Kamara.
Led in evidence by Assistant Superintendent Ibrahim Mansaray, the first Prosecution Witness (PW1),Inspector Musa Jalloh, who is attached to the Magburaka Police Station, recognised the accused and recounted the incident on Tuesday 17th March, 2020.
According to the PW1, he was on duty on that day when the Local Unit Commander (LUC), Alonso Fabundeh, instructed him to execute a warrant of arrest in respect of a pending matter at the station involving the stealing of cattle.
He said he was accompanied by Detective Sergeant 7846 Nathaniel Lamin,the missing officer,and other personneltogether with the complainant Mohammed Jalloh onboard a police vehicle with registration number SLP264 and they headed to Mamanor village.
PW1 furthered that, upon their arrival in the village, Sergeant Nathaniel Lamin identified the first accused, Emmanuel Bla, and they were trying to arrest him when they saw a large group of people coming towards them and pelting stones and other missiles at them. He added that some of them were armed with machetes.
The PW1 said he then ordered his officers to retreat since they were not armed, adding that whilst they were retreating, the irate crowd chased Sergeant Nathaniel Lamin into the bush. He said they attempted to rescue him but he was nowhere to be found and consequently, he said, they had to return to the station whilst the people were still pelting missiles at them.
Inspector Jalloh said when they returned to the station, they reinforced and went back to the village, where they met Councilor Daramy Tarawalie and some youth standing in an open field, adding that the youth took to their heels and they chased and arrested them and brought them to the station.
The PW1 was cross-examined by Defense Counsel Boniface Kamara, who made an application for bail on behalf of all accused, but the prosecution objected to bail, giventhe seriousness of the offence.
The accused were arraigned on sixteen counts ranging from conspiracy, riotous conduct, wounding with intent, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, malicious damage to throwing of missiles, among others.
The particulars of offence indicate that the accused, on Tuesday 17th March, 2020 at Mamanor village Tonkolili district, conspired with other persons unknown to behave in a riotous manner.
The charge sheet furthered that the accused, on the same day at the same place, maliciously wounded Inspector Musa Jalloh, Police Constable 18864 Francis Junior Sesay and PC 12793 Mohammed Manso Kabia with intent to cause them grievous bodily harm.
The charge sheet furthered that the accused, on the same day at the same place, maliciously damaged one Sierra Leone Police vehicle with registration number SLP 264 and were also found throwing missiles and carrying offensive weapons.
The accused also, on the same day, unlawfully took away Detective Sergeant 7846 Nathaniel Lamin to an unknown destination without his consent.
Six other police officers also gave the same testimony in court.
The accused were denied bail by the Magistrate and the matter was adjourned to Tuesday 2nd June, 2020.