The Legal Aid Board has in a statement released on Monday September 7 2020 said that its counsel had been very busy in the first week (1 August – 5 September) of the ongoing Special Criminal Sessions of the High Court in Port Loko, Pujehun and Kailahun District.
According to the Board, its lawyers represented all the 126 cases brought before the three Special Sessions last week.
Counsels Mohamed Korie and Ibrahim Samba represented all the 49 cases tried in the Port Loko session presided over by Justice S.O Taylor. These include 13 sexual penetration cases, 8 murder, 18 larcenies, 2 wounding with intent, 2 fraudulent conversions, 3 robberies, 1 human trafficking, 1 forgery and 1 dangerous riding case. The Counsels secured bail for five accused persons. This number includes those whose lawyers failed to represent them without any excuse.
Legal Aid Counsel, Sei Kabbah Coomber represented 13 accused persons in Pujehun before Justice Ganda. Seven of the matters were concluded, including those of Momoh Ngombu, who was convicted of larceny in a dwelling house and sentenced to time served; Mathew Massaquoi, who was convicted of shop breaking and larceny and sentenced to 8 years in prison; and Kabinnah Sankoh was convicted of sexual penetration and sentenced to 7 years in prison.
Legal Aid Counsels Ibrahim Tholley and Patrick Kamara represented 64 accused persons in the same week in the Court presided over by Justice Simeon Alieu in Kailahun. They comprise 39 sexual penetration cases, 4 murder, 5 robbery, 4 wounding with intent, 5 house breaking, 1 child cruelty, 3 rape and 3 conspiracy and house breaking cases. Six matters were concluded and the convicts sentenced to various prison terms, three were discharged and three were acquitted and discharged.
A total of 182 cases will be tried in the criminal sessions before it concludes in the three districts. The cases include 72 in Port Loko, 67 in Kailahun and 43 in Pujehun. The latter include 27 sexual penetration, 3 conspiracy and larceny, 3 larceny in a dwelling house, 2 store breaking and larceny, 2 wounding with intent, 1 conspiracy and fraudulent conversion, 2 larceny, 1 drug trafficking , 1 burglary and 1 murder cases.
By Isabella Cassell
10/09/2020. ISSUE NO: 7905