By Saio Marrah
Justice Adrian Fisher has jailed a 22-year-old man for 13 years and ordered him to pay a sum of 81 thousand New Leones as compensation in 90 days, after finding him guilty of one count of Migrant Smuggling.
Handing down the judgment at the High Court in Freetown on Monday 16th October 2023, Justice Fisher noted that the convict between 10th July and 24th October 2022, together with others conspired to collect four thousand United States Dollars from the complainant, Memunatu Jalloh for the purpose of facilitating her travel to France. He said evidence revealed that the convict smuggled the victim to Liberia for the purpose of obtaining a visa and air ticket for the journey.
For the first count of attempted human trafficking, Justice Fisher told the court that even though he took the victim to Liberia, he never had the intention to travel with the victim to France.
Commenting on the convict’s act of telling the victim that he was trying to obtain a visa for her, the Judge said a visa cannot be obtained through a third party. He said the convict was liable for other criminal offences, but the prosecution fell short of proving them.
Justice Fisher noted that the convict did receive financial benefit from the victim, took her to Liberia, and that the same convict had earlier admitted to committing the offences to the police but later pleaded not guilty in court. He said that gave cause to the complainant to go through the struggle to bring her evidence before the court.
He said the convict and his colleagues took advantage of the victim as prey by collecting her money, taking her to Liberia, and destroying her suitcase adding that the convict was central to the offences and that there was sufficient evidence that he did plan to undertake the act.
After pronouncing the 1 sentence, the Judge told the convict to pay 81 thousand New Leones to cover the transportation of the victim to Liberia, some for the social effects the victim had to endure and the Leone equivalent of the 4,000 United States dollars which the victim paid, plus compensation to the state lawyers. He said failure to pay all the 81 thousand New Leones in 90 days would constitute another sentence.
In his plea for mercy, the Njala University student said he committed the act in order to pay his fees to complete his course in Banking and Finance.
Copyright © 2023 Politico (18/10/23)
