By Amin Kef (Ranger)
At Magistrate Court No 3 on Ross Road in Freetown presided over by Magistrate Hadiru Daboh, the first and second Prosecution Witnesses in the matter between the Inspector General of Police and fourteen (14) accused persons, who were arrested and charged in respect of the August 10 riot, have testified before His Worship Magistrate Hadiru Daboh on the 15th September 2022.
Led in evidence by Detective Sergeant 8534 Gibrilla Sesay representing the Inspector General of Police, the first Prosecution Witness identified himself as Deputy Superintendent of Police, Abubakarr Mohamed Kamara, attached to the Ross Road Police Station as Operations Officer.
He recognized all accused persons in the dock and recalled that he was on duty on Wednesday the 10th of August 2022, in the office when the Commissioner of Police, Francis Hazley called him together with the Local Unit Commander, Denis Taylor and instructed him to form a team of Police Officers.
“I did same involving the Operational Support Team and Personnel from the Operations Unit. I was instructed specifically to visit Ferry Junction where a group of people, holding placards in their hands and others with stones and sticks, were heading towards the Ross Road Police Station,” the Police Witness said.
He continued that they on-boarded a Police vehicle with registration number SLP 056 and moved to the scene, adding that as soon as the accused persons and some others saw the vehicle they ran in different directions.
He went on to explain that, “we ran after the accused persons and we were able to apprehend them.” He added that the others escaped while the accused persons were brought to the Police Station and handed over to the Criminal Investigations Department at the Ross Road Police Station for further investigations.
He went on to state that he was asked to make a statement in respect of the arrest they effected.
Under cross-examination by Lawyer V.A Koroma representing the accused persons, the witness said he has spent 33 years in the Police Force and denied working on shift basis.
He agreed with Lawyer Koroma that before the accused persons were arrested there was a public notice encouraging citizens to go about their normal business.
The second Prosecution Witness, Detective Sergeant Sumaila Ismail Alie said he’s attached to the Regional Criminal Investigation Department at Ross Road Police Station and recognized the accused persons.
He also recalled that he was on duty on the 10th of August 2022, when the accused persons were arrested and brought to the Police Station by the Operations Officer and his team for the offence of Riotous Conduct. He said file was assigned to him for investigation.
Lawyer R. S. Bangura renewed his application for bail on behalf of the accused persons some of whom he said are students and pupils.
Magistrate Daboh refused bail and remanded all accused persons in custody.
The matter comes up today, the 19th September 2022.
