By Saio Marrah
Presiding Magistrate, Mark Ngegba of the Pademba Road Court in Freetown has stated that judgment in the ongoing criminal matter against former main opposition All Peoples Congress (APC) Member of Parliament, Mohamed Bangura will take place on 16 June 2023.
The announcement by the magistrate on Wednesday 24 May this year, is over a matter involving Bangura as the first accused and the Chairlady of the APC Tonkolili District, Yabom Sesay second accused who both face five counts of assault, intimidation, riotous conduct, and obstruction of police work, and using insulting words against police on duty, which were calculated to provoke police officers to the point of breaching the peace.
Bangura, who was also a former minister of Information and Communications in the past administration, had earlier denied any wrongdoing.
He had earlier informed the court that he crossed the police checkpoint at the Mathora Village in Tonkolili District without authorization because the police at the checkpoint did not tell him the reason for erecting it.
He also pointed out that stopping him from crossing the checkpoint was an infringement on his freedom of movement.
Bangura also told the court that on 11 June 2022, he had gone out with others in an APC entourage on the scheduled day for their political party’s campaign for the then parliamentary bye-election. He said on their way, Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Gabriel Tommy was said to have stopped them at the checkpoint.
He said his driver Mohamed Jalloh had allegedly stopped the car and he (Bangura) climbed down the vehicle and talked to the AIG to allow them to pass, but he could not allow them to proceed.
At a certain point, he said one police officer opened the checkpoint and vehicles started crossing but claimed AIG Tommy immediately rushed to the street and stood in front of his vehicle.
He said while he was still standing where the AIG left him, he saw his own vehicle moving across the checkpoint but pointed out that he did not instruct his driver to move the car.
The accused however acknowledged that he later joined his driver in the vehicle and proceeded to the campaign.
Copyright © 2023 Politico (26/05/23)
