By Politico staff writer
20-year-old Alie Moddy Turay has on Friday 16th March 2021 been sentenced to death by hanging in Magbruka, northern Sierra Leone.
Justice Unisa Kamara, the Resident High Court Judge of Bombali District currently presiding over the High Court Criminal Session in the township of Magburuka in Tonkolili District, according to a report from the Judifiary Communication sentenced Turay following a unanimous guilty verdict returned by the jury for a one count indictment of murder against him.
The report noted that the Prosecution had alleged that the convict on the 1st February 2021, in Gbombana Village, Yoni Mabanta Chiefdom, Tonkolili District in the same Northern Province murdered one Abdul Turay.
During the course of the trial, the Prosecution led in evidence three witnesses in support of their case.
According to the factual witness Abdulai Kabia who described himself as a farmer, the convict hit the deceased twice with a plum stick on his head during a bitter altercation between them from which he eventually died.
The prosecuting lawyer, Aruna Jalloh, told the Court that the convict had committed the offence in revenge for an incident that had occurred between them sometime in June 2020. He said after their quarrel, they have not been in speaking terms.
Addressing the jurors, he said they should be able to understand the elements constituting murder. He added that what the accused did was unlawful and did so with malice.
In delivering his judgment based on the ’guilty verdict,' returned by the jurors, Justice Unisa Kamara sentenced him to death by hanging.
In another matter before the court, Justice Kamara also sentenced one Alie Fullah to 20 years imprisonment after he was found guilty of the offence of sexual penetration, contrary to the Sexual Offences Act.
The Prosecution argued that the convict engaged in an act of sexual penetration with a 10-year-old girl, who happens to be his niece in a nearby bush where she had gone to fetch firewood.
The aforesaid judgments are among 48 cases brought before the court for offences ranging from conspiracy, murder, manslaughter, larceny, assault, robbery, sexual penetration to dangerous driving among others.
The High Court Criminal sessions are being funded by the Judiciary with funds from the Government of Sierra Leone. The session continues until the 23rd April, 2021.
Copyright © 2021 Politico Online (19/04/21)
