By Janet A. Sesay
Magistrate Hannah Bonnie of Court No.1 yesterday granted Le200, 000,000.00 (Two Hundred Million Leones) bail and two sureties each in like sumto Tombo rioters after Defense Counsel M. Thorley made an application for bail on behalf of his clients.
The accused include Alpha Kalokoh, Ibrahim Kamara, Abu Kamara, Ibrahim Osman Sesay, Abdul Conteh, Sulaiman Bah, Saidu Karim Jalloh, Baimba Bangura, Chernor Samba Juma Bah and seven others.
During proceedings, Chief Michael Kaimulleh Benga, the Sherbro Tribal Head, recognised the accused and recounted the incident on 6th May, 2020.
He said, on that day, he was at his house listening to the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) radio when he saw a large crowd coming from the beach and later saw smoke coming from the Police Station.
Chief Michael K. Benga furthered that he also saw another set of crowd moving towards his house and pelting stones at the house and he ran into his house out of fear.
He said some security personnel came and rescued him, but the accused insisted that they were going to chop his head off for stopping them from not fishing.
Chief Benga added that he was later taken to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) where statement was obtained from him.
The accused were arraigned on five counts ranging from conspiracy, malicious damage, setting fire on public building to conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm.
The charge sheet indicates that the accused, on Wednesday 6th May, 2020 at Tombo, Waterloo, conspired with other persons unknown to maliciously damage one steel door, valuedat Le800, 000. 00 (Eight Hundred Thousand Leones), three windows valued at Le2.1 million, twenty-four window glasses valued atLe480, 000. 00 (Four Hundred and Eighty Thousand Leones) and other properties – all totaling Le4.4 million.
The charged sheet furthered that the accused, on the same day and place, maliciously set fireson the Tombo Police Station and hospital.
The witness was cross-examined by Defense Counsel M. Thorley, who made an application for bail onbehalf of the accused, but the Prosecutor, A.S.P. Ibrahim Mansaray, objected to bail.
Magistrate Hannah Bonnie however granted the accused Le200 million bail and two sureties each in like sum and the sureties should be gainfully employed and resident in Freetown or Tombo, andeach surety should be property owner and bail should be approved by the Master and Registrar.
The matter was adjourned to Tuesday 2nd June, 2020.