By Alimatu Jalloh
Honorable Mohamed Bangura, a politician and 63yr old Yabom Sesay a journalist and chairlady of the All Peoples Congress Party were on Wednesday September 7, 2022 remanded in custody by Magistrate Mark Ngegba of Pademba Road Court No 1 on charges of insulting behavior, intimidation, riotous conduct and obstruction of police duty. The allegations against the two are that on the 11th of June 2022 at Mathora Village, Khalifa Rowala Chiefdom in the Tonkolili District assaulted the Inspector General of Police, Gabriel G.M.T. Tommy in the course of police work. The Police also alleged that the two at the same place and date insulted the I.G. and provoked him to commit a breach of the peace. The charges were read and explained to the accused persons and they pleaded not guilty.
Yusif Isaac Sesay Esq., representing the state, led the first prosecution witness DPC 18855 James Sesay, a personal body guard to the I.G.
James Sesay said that they boarded a police vehicle SLP 295 and the IG informed them that the Vice President was around and he instructed them to mount a checkpoint and search all the vehicles plying through the route.
He continued that the first accused person came with his supporters in a tinted vehicle, but was stopped. She said that the second accused person told him that she was heading to Bumbuna. According to the witness lots of APC supporters were inside the vehicle at the time and that the second accused person was refused passage because the Vice President was around the area. He said that the second accused person told I.G. Tommy that it was not fear and that the war that SLPP wants would start. He said that the second accused person told her driver to shift the vehicle and wait for the Vice President’s convoy to pass in anticipation that the police would let them through when the Vice President would have passed through the check point. He furthered that the supporters started using abusive language and threatened that they would resist police effort to let them through. He then said that the first accused person boarded the vehicle himself and instructed his driver to start the engine and the APC supporters removed the road block and forced their way through. The witness said that later the Police I.G. Tommy told them to board SLP 295 and they returned to Makeni where he later made statement to the police.
During Cross -Examination by defense counsel Lansana Dumbuya the witness maintained that it was the APC supporters who removed the road block which the police had mounted and that the first accused person had told them that they were heading for Bumbuna.
Counsel representing the first accused person Lansana Dumbuya Esq. applied for bail on behalf of the first accused person pursuant to section 79 (3) of the Criminal Procedure Act No.32 of 1965 Counsel representing the second accused person Brima Koroma applied pursuant to section 79 (3) of the Criminal Procedure Act No.32 of 1965 that the court had the rights to grant bail. Referring to the affidavit in opposition the defence said that the prosecutor who happens to be a law officer and that affidavit should not send his client down. He said that the second accused person had reliable sureties who were willing and ready to stand in his recognizance on her behalf and she is resident within this jurisdiction and that she is not a flight risk.
The defence counsel opposed to bail.
Meanwhile Magistrate Ngegba said that due to the affidavit in opposition and the rule of law he refused bail and adjourned the matter to the 13th of September 2022 for further hearing.