By Sorie Ibrahim Fofanah
Three accused persons; Bintu Williams, first accused; Christopher Thomas, second accused, and Abu Sillah, third accused have appeared before Magistrate Ladonnette Cole at the Waterloo Magistrate Court for an alleged assault on a female police officer, PC 15071 Memunatu Mansaray.
The three accused persons Tuesday, 12th March this year were charged with ten counts , ranging from assault on police, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and obstruction of justice. The accused persons, however, denied all the charges levied against them.
Testifying before the court, the complainant, Memunatu Mansary recalled that on the 5th of March this year, a complainant made a statement of larceny at the Deep Eye Water Police Post, in which it was stated that eight crates of plastic bottle drinks were stolen. After the statement was made by the complainant, officer Mansaray and other investigators launched an investigation, arrested the suspect who later admitted to the Police in his voluntary caution statement of stealing the drinks. PC Memunatu added that the suspect went on to admit that he some of the drinks to one Bintu Williams, who is before the court as accused person number one, the complainant told the court. Williams was said to be the receiver of part of the stolen drinks.
The suspect confirmed to have known the location of the buyer, Williams.
On Thursday, 7th of March this year, the suspect led officer Mansaray and two other police officers to the residence of Williams.
Upon their arrival at the accused’s residence, “I identified myself as a police officer, and that we were there to arrest her for allegedly being a recipient of stolen drinks, the complainant said.
Responding to their invitation, Williams denied buying drinks from the suspect who was in police custody; the complainant went on addressing the court.
The female police officer added that the accused threatened to slap her if she made an attempt to arrest her (the accused). “She slapped me on my right jaw and slapped me for the second time. The accused went ahead to strip me naked,” the complainant, PC Mansaray added.
He said a sub headman, name unknown, and other onlookers tried to restore calm.
“Later, the second accused confronted me and said I had no “right” to arrest without prior invitation,” she stated, adding that the first accused tried to escape upon the confrontation of the second accused and other family members of the first accused.
She claimed to have suffered bleeding as a result of the assault by the first accused, adding “I took a medical report at the Deep Eye Water Police Post, and got treated at the Rokupa Hospital.
Reinforcement for more police had later arrived at the scene.
The accused, Williams was arrested and then carried to the Deep Eye Water Police Post where she refused to enter the cell after a call had come from a senior police officer instructing not to send the accused inside the cell, the complainant said.
Later the Local Unit Commander (LUC) at Waterloo Police Division, made a call for the first accused to be sent into the cell.
The Prosecutor for the case is Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Sesay. During the cross-examination, Magistrate Cole granted bail to the accused, and the matter adjourned to the 19th of March this year.
Copyright © 2024 Politico (13/03/24)
