His Worship Magistrate Harold Kamara of the Mile 91 Magistrate Court has reportedly committed two men to the High Court of Justice to stand trial for their alleged involvement in an armed robbery in Mile 91, after ruling that the prosecution established prima facie evidence on multiple indictable offences, including robbery with aggravation.

The matter, C/S 12/2026, was brought by the Inspector-General of Police against Hassan Sesay of Mathalay Village and Sulaiman Turay of Magbisie Village. The prosecution was led by Sub-Inspector I.F. Bangura, Esq., while both defendants appeared without legal representation.

The charges arose from a reported robbery involving a commercial motorbike rider who was allegedly threatened with offensive weapons and dispossessed of his motorbike.

The defendants face three counts: conspiracy to commit a felony; robbery with aggravation, contrary to Section 23(1)(a) of the Larceny Act 1916 as repealed and replaced by Section 1 of the Schedule to the Abolition of the Death Penalty Act, 2022 (Act No. 6 of 2022); and accessory after the fact.

Related News

Due to the indictable nature of the offences, no plea was taken and the matter proceeded by way of committal proceedings in line with Sierra Leone’s criminal procedure.

In his ruling, Magistrate Kamara noted that the prosecution tendered written statements from five witnesses, voluntary cautioned statements from both defendants, and an HLX Star motorbike alleged to be the stolen property. At the close of the prosecution’s case, the defendants elected not to cross-examine any witnesses.

Addressing the legal threshold at the committal stage, the Magistrate emphasized that the court was not determining guilt but whether the evidence disclosed a case to answer, applying the principle in R v Galbraith (1981).

On conspiracy, the court found prima facie evidence of an agreement to commit an unlawful act, relying on admissions in the first defendant’s cautioned statement and corroborative witness accounts, consistent with Mulcahy v R (1868).

On robbery with aggravation, the court accepted evidence that the motorbike was taken by force, accompanied by threats involving a knife and cutlass, and later recovered, satisfying the required legal elements.

The Magistrate ruled that the first defendant was prima facie linked to the offence through identification evidence, corroboration, a confessional statement, and recovery of the motorbike.

Regarding the second defendant, the court found prima facie liability as an accessory after the fact, citing admissions and evidence suggesting knowledge of the stolen property and assistance rendered after the robbery.

Magistrate Kamara consequently committed both accused persons to the High Court for trial on the merits and ordered that they be remanded at the Moyamba Correctional Centre unless bail is granted by the High Court. The prosecution is expected to prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt when the matter proceeds to trial.