By Fatima Kpaka
Magistrate Mark Ngegba of Pademba Road Court has on Monday, July 10, 2023, remanded Yusufu Caulker, Momoh Koroma, Ibrahim Sesay, Abdul Sesay and Abass Kargbo had been brought before him on allegation of behaving in a riotous manner.
The accused who made their first appearance in court, had been charged with three offences ranging from failure to give notice for procession, behaving in a disorderly manner and throwing missiles.
The charges against the accused persons indicate that on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, at Portee, in the east of Freetown behaved disorderly and threw missiles.
The first prosecution witness in the matter, John S. Koroma, is the Operations Officer at the Kissy Police division. He said that on Tuesday, June 13, 2023 he was on duty when he received information about a group of people gathering at Potty junction, adding that when they {the operations team of the police} responded and arrived at the scene they found the accused persons holding placards.
Koroma said that at that point he cautioned them to be peaceful and to allow the free flow of vehicular and pedestrian traffic, but the five accused persons refused and started pelting stones at the law enforcement personnel. He said that as a result, they had to arrest the five accused persons.
During cross-examination by lawyer Brima Musa, the Operations Officer, in response to a question posed by the defense counsel said that a rioter is someone who behaves disorderly.
Lawyer Musa then went on to apply for all accused persons to be admitted to bail pursuant to section 79 of the Criminal Procedure Act 1965.
His application was rejected by Magistrate Ngegba who remanded the accused in prison and adjourned the matter to July 17, 2023 for further hearing.
In another development Magistrate Mark Ngegba also remanded five other persons; Mohamed Kargbo, John Bangura, Alusine Kamara, Ibrahim S. Foday and Sheku A. T. Cobteh, who had been charged with the offence of failure to give notice for procession and behaving in a disorderly manner which are in violation of provisions of the 1965 Public Order Act.