By Alimatu Jalloh
Justice Alhaji Momoh Jah Stevens JA has on Monday sentenced one Ibrahim Sorie Mumu Jalloh to Fifteen years imprisonment after finding him guilty of sexually penetrating a fourteen years old child.
Jalloh, the convict had been charged for the offence of Sexual Penetration.
M.P. Sesay, who represented the state in prosecuting the case, alleged that the convict committed the illegal act on the 31st of May 2022 in Freetown.
The prosecution filed an Instrument signed by the Attorney General dated the 6th day of July 2022 for the Accused to be tried by Judge alone instead of a Judge and jury in accordance with Section 144 (2) of the Criminal Procedure Act 1965 as amended.
The prosecution made an application for the accused to be tried by a Judge alone instead of a Judge and Jury is granted in accordance with Section 144(2) of the Criminal Procedure Act 1965 as amended.
Justice Stevens in his ruling stated that, after the prosecution had closed their case, an option was given to the convict to select whether he wanted to rely on the statement he made to the police, take the witness stand or testify from the dock. He continued that the accused chose and informed the court through his lawyer from the Legal Aid Board that he relied on the statement he had made to the police.
Soon after, Justice Alhaji Momoh Jah Stevens JA immediately withdrew the matter for judgment.
The judge recalled that the accused had pleaded not guilty to the offence as charged, adding that the prosecution brought four witnesses including a medical doctor.
He added that the accused denied the allegation in its entirety, but he did not proffer any defence to corroborate the said denial.
“A substantiated defence by the accused will have been crucial for my consideration of his innocence, but to mainly deny and rely on same I submit it cannot project a strong defence of the Accused,” Judge Stevens emphasized. He said according to the victim, she had gone to sell some items for her mother when the accused called her in a nearby bush with the help of her friend at Moira Village and sexually penetrated her.
“I submit that the prosecution has proven it case beyond all reasonable doubt against the accused person. I therefore hold the accused guilty as charged of sexual penetration, he is therefore sentenced to twenty years imprisonment,” he ordered.