By Saio Marrah
Magistrate Mark Ngegba of court No. 1, Pademba Road has dismissed a bail application made on behalf of four accused persons - Christopher John alias Arkor, Osman Tarawallie alias 5-4, Mohamed Bai Kamara alias Alkaline and Ibrahim Koroma commonly called Dino who are before the court for alleged robbery with aggravation, assault and wounding with intent.
He said the accused would remain in custody because the prosecution is alleging that they committed a felony that could attract a lengthy prison term if they were convicted.
The complainant in this case, Adetunji Wilson Taylor testified on Monday 10th July 2023 that on the 7th of March this year at about 2 am he heard a sudden bang at his residence at 89 Newcastle Street in Freetown. He said two men with their faces covered halfway with a cutlass and other sharp objects entered and that one of them ordered him to be calm and go back to his bed and threatened to kill him if he disobeyed them. He said: “They then collected almost every item of value in my room“.
Taylor told the court that the robbers then went to his cousin, Alice’s room and brought her over to his (Taylor)’s room, and ordered her to lie down beside him while the others were stealing her property. He said one of the robbers went into his bathroom and stole money from his bag and that while all of this was happening; two of the robbers pressed his neck on the bed.
The witness said as the robbers left, he attempted to give chase and identify any of them, but they chased him back into his house and locked him and his cousin in the room.
According to the witness, he later heard somebody crying outside saying “Wai! You have chopped off my hand, but mind you I know you Arhor, and Alkaline.” He said at that point his cousin opened the window of the room and screamed so loud that his mother came around and spoke them over the window and proceeded to open the room, "we then went outside and saw our neighbor, named Mohamed with a wound on his forehand bleeding profusely".
As a medical doctor, after administering first aid to his neighbor, he said he went to the Kissy barracks police station for a medical form and then took the wounded man to the Connaught Hospital and later made a statement to the police.
The witness told the court that about six to eight robbers entered his room but there were approximately 15 to 20 of them in the compound. He also described the first accused as a boy who would normally go to his house to help with house chores.
The total value of items stolen is said to be Ninety thousand, three hundred and eighty-six New Leones (NLe90, 386).
Copyright © 2023 Politico (12/07/23)
