The Legal Aid Board (LAB) has succeeded in securing the acquittal and discharge of three Inmates from the Koidu Magistrate Court and High Court in Kono district, eastern part of Sierra Leone.
The accused, Abibatu Kamara, a single- parent with six children, Ibrahim Turay alias Contractor and Sahr Steven Suluku were discharged on Wednesday 9 August 2023.
Kamara was cautioned and discharged by Magistrate Alpha N’dolleh following a remorseful plea-in-mitigation by Legal Aid Counsel, A.O Kamara, after she was found guilty on a one-count charge of receiving stolen goods to wit a foam mattress.
According to her statement, she and her children didn’t had mattress for a long time and that she had borrowed money to purchase this one which unfortunately turned out to be one that was stolen and got her arrested and charged to court.
The second and third LAB beneficiary Suluku and Turay were discharged by Honourable Justice Augustine K Musa and Justice S.O Taylor following a not guilty verdict on a two-count charge of Sexual Penetration and Meeting a Child for Sexual Purposes and one count charge of Sexual Penetration respectively.
The Board after their release, cautioned and admonished the second and third beneficiary to be careful and not to get into any romantic affair with under age children, whiles the first beneficiary was dashed the mattress after the Board had emotionally moved the Magistrate to purchase the mattress from the complainant.