By Mohamed Foday Conteh
The mother of a 9-year-old school girl has told Justice Manuela Harding that Amara Sankoh alias Chair penetrated her child.
The witness led by State Prosecutor Oladipo Robin mason Jr. was testifying as the third prosecution witness at the Sexual Offences Model Court in Freetown on Tuesday 9th November this year.
The woman said it was on the 14th January this year that she questioned her daughter who returned home late from school. She said when she asked the reason for her lateness, her daughter told her that they were having a Red Cross meeting but said she knew she was lying because the school issues a slip for attendees whenever there’s a meeting.
She said her daughter later told her she was coming from the accused’s shop after she threatened to discipline her. The mother told the judge that her daughter took her to take her to Shell, Kissy where they met a woman selling candy outside the accused’s place. The trader, according to the girl’s mother, indeed confirmed the child had been there earlier and had said the accused was her uncle.
The mother said that when she confronted the accused as to the reason for holding unto her daughter for three hours after school, the man told her the girl was his friend. She said that the man furthered that there were three of them and that he chose her daughter over the others.
Sankoh had explained to the mother how he had been buying ice cream and giving the girl Le 5,000.
Whilst the mother was talking to the accused, an old woman came and and told the mother to caution her daughter lest she forfeits her future for money.
The mother added that it was at that point that she was told that a certain lady used to collect the sum of Le 10,000 from her child for ‘osusu’ on a daily basis.
She said Mariama Bah, a woman she met on the day told her that her daughter had been tampered with.
The mother said that when she examined her child at home, she noticed she had been tampered with. She then went to the Police and made a statement and the child was referred to the Rainbo Medical Centre for further examination.
She told the judge that when they went in search of the accused, he hid in the room of the proprietor of Zadet Preparatory School in Kissy. The man was, however, arrested later and brought to the Police.
The girl had earlier in the day testified in court, confirming it was Mariama who first caught her and the accused in a bathroom.
She said Sankoh threatened to kill her if she told anyone about what had happened.The child added that the accused after penetrating her left her in his shop and went for prayers. She said she was the one that requested from the accused to allow her to go home.
The girl said the accused used his fingers to penetrate her and confirmed that the man used to buy ice cream for her and give her Le 5,000.
Sankoh was arraigned in court on allegations of sexual penetration of a child contrary to the Sexual Offences Act of 2012 as amended in 2019.
The Prosecution is alleging that the man penetrated the child sometime in December last year and January this year in Freetown.
Justice Harding remanded the accused at the Pademba Road Correctional Centre and adjourned the matter for the 16th November 2021.
Copyright © Politico Online 10/11/21
