The Kenema Magistrate Court under the Jurisdiction of Magistrate Toby on Monday 1/7/2019 refused Bail to Sixteen out of the Eighteen Bike riders who allegedly attacked and damaged the office of the Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority in Kenema.
Refusing the application for bail earlier submitted by the defense counsel, D. S Ansumana, Magistrate Toby said application for bail can only be entertained after listening to key prosecution witnesses on the matter.
The Eighteen accused Persons are facing several counts of Riotous conduct, malicious damage to property, wounding, throwing missiles etc.
The Prosecution led by Police Inspector Alimu Koroma, informed the court that he has several prosecution witnesses that are ready to testify to prove the case against the accused Persons. The first Prosecution witness Ibrahim S Kamara, a senior Road Marshal in Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority informed the court that he was on duty on Thursday 20/6/2019 at SLRSA office in Kenema when the accused Persons invaded the offices, damaged the gate, forcefully entered the compound and damaged property worth tens of millions of Leone’s including vehicles. The witness also intimated the court that he was wounded by one of the accused Persons.
The matter was adjourned to Thursday 4/7/2019. Two of the accused Persons (9th and 15th) were granted bail .The 9th accused was granted bail on medical grounds while the 15th accused was granted bail on the grounds of being a teacher.
The sixteen accused persons are;
Sheku Kanu
Mohamed Soko
Vandy Kallon
Hassan Kamara
Lasanana Kallon
Sorieba Momodu
Yokie Boima
Vandy Swarray
Chernor Barrie
Sheku Salieu
Alhaji Jalloh
Mohamed Foday
Abdul Kallon
Lansana Bawoh
Mohamed Jalloh
Jessie Msnsaray
Ibrahim Msnsaray
Osman Sesay
Incidents of attacks on personnel and premises of the Authority are very common in the Kenema and Kambia Districts. Many observers have expressed concern on this state of affairs and are calling for concerted effort to address this crude method by bike riders to halt the operations of the Authority.
Meanwhile, in the North-eastern District of Kambia, three commercial bike riders who violently attacked personnel of the Authority, have been found guilty by Magistrate Abdul Carew .The three accused Persons were sentenced to three months in prison with no option.
