By Saio Marrah
Justice Adrian Fisher, presiding over a criminal trial of Alpha Sheriff alias ‘APC Sheriff’ and Alhaji Saidu Fofanah as first and second accused respectively, for the alleged operation of a private security company without license and two other related offences, has promised to rule on the bail application next Tuesday 12th March this year.
Justice Fisher made this pronouncement at the Freetown High Court in Freetown on Tuesday 5th March 2024, after ordering the lead state prosecutor, Ahmed J.M. Bockarie, who opposed the bail application, to file an affidavit in opposition by Friday 8th March.
This happened after the defence lawyer, Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara told the court that the two accused had already spent nine months in jail for offences that are bailable and that even if they are found guilty, the punishment for two of the three charges are not more than 12 months imprisonment.
For count three he said the punishment if found guilty is not more than five years. The defence counsel further drew the attention of the court that even if the accused were not found guilty of the offences, they would have already been punished by being incarcerated for nine months without compensation.
Kamara said that the two accused persons returned voluntarily to the correctional centre after the November 26 2023 incident that saw the prisons breached and inmates set free by armed assailants.
The bail application happened after the two accused had taken their plea of not guilty to the charges levied against them. While the two accused persons were charged with operating private security services without license, Sheriff was also charged with possession of small arms without license and concealment of small arms.
The two accused persons were among seven others being tried before the November 26th incident.
The court decided to try the two accused persons separately from the rest of the seven accused. Justice Fisher however pointed out that once the escaped prisoners are found, they would face trial.
Copyright © 2024 Politico (06/03/24)
