A High Court in Freetown will today 13 March, deliver its verdict in the trial of popular rap musician Alhaji Amadu Bah commonly known as LAJ.
The hip-hop star has been going through the courts since June 2022 beginning with Preliminary Investigations by a magistrate in Freetown and a trial before Justice Adrian Fisher. The judge refused bail applications made by lawyers representing the accused, upholding objections by state prosecutors.
In a ruling on the issue of bail, Justice Fisher said he was satisfied that he was standing trial for a “serious offence with a significant period of imprisonment should the accused be convicted and that is likely to represent a disincentive to the accused for him to submit himself to the jurisdiction of the court to face his trial”.
Justice Fisher further said that there was “uncontroverted” evidence contained in an affidavit “that the accused’s close relatives have been allegedly involved in a serious and sustained attempt to pervert the course of justice by interference with the witnesses who are scheduled to come to court to give evidence. I see no rational basis upon which this court can conclude that the accused has a different view from those family members who are allegedly seeking to pervert the course of justice in a bid to win his freedom…”
Justice Fisher concluded that there was “a significant risk that if given bail, there would be further attempts to interfere with witnesses and there is equally a significant risk that the accused will not return to stand his trial.”
In that same ruling, the judge noted that “the correctional services are under a legal duty to provide him any medical care he requires”. LAJ’s lawyers had argued that his health condition was deteriorating in prison and that he needed to be on bail to seek medical help.
At the start of the High Court trial, LAJ was facing a four-count indictment (amended on 14 October 2022) for offences of Robbery contrary to section 23(2) of the Larceny Act 1916 as repealed and replaced by section 2 of the Imperial Statutes (Criminal Law) Adoption (Amendment) Act No 16 of 1971.
It was alleged that the accused, on 12 June 2022 in Freetown, robbed Frances Wilson of the sum of Le 2,090,000 (Two million and ninety thousand Leones).
The prosecution further alleged that the accused person on the same day robbed Ishmail Kamara and Christiana Koroma of the sum of Le 4,200,000 and Le 1,600,000 respectively. By virtue of the amendment to the indictment, the prosecution added a fourth count to the indictment of inflicting grievous bodily harm and alleged that the accused on 12 June 2022 maliciously inflicted grievous bodily harm on Musa Mansaray.
LAJ denies all the charges.
Copyright © 2023 Politico (13/03/23)
