Hon. Mohamed Bangura of constituency 066 in Karene District and chairperson of the main opposition All People’s Congress party(APC) in Tonkolili District, Madam Yabom Sesay, were again refused bail yesterday, Tuesday 13th September, 2022 after the testimony of North – Regional Commander, AIG Gabriel G Tommy.

Both accused are standing trial before Magistrate Mark Ngegba for five counts offences ranging from assault, insulting language, intimidation, disorderly behaviour to riotous conduct.

The incident allegedly took place on Saturday 11th June, 2022 at Mathora Village, Kholifa Rowala Chiefdom in the Tonkolili District, North-East Region. Testifying, the Second Prosecution Witness (PW2), AIG Gabriel G Tommy, recognized both accused in the dock and recalled the aforesaid date. He said on that day, he moved from Makeni in the morning hours to Magburaka based on a discussion he had with the second accused, Madam Yabom Sesay,

The Regional Commander said he was aware that Vice President Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh was on a walking visit since the 9th June, 2022 in Sambaia Bendugu, Bumbuna in the Feregbeya axis, adding that on the following day, he was informed that the APC were having a rally in Sambaia Bendugu in Constituency 056. He said he called the second accused and advised her to reschedule the rally to 11th June, 2022. PW2 said he instructed his men to mount a checkpoint at Mathora Village since the Vice President was on a walking visit at Sambala Bendugu, adding that when thesecond accused arrived at the checkpoint with her vehicle and it was searched by his bodyguard, she alighted the vehicle together with two men and two women.

The PW2 said the second accused approached him and instructed him to open the checkpoint for them to pass on the grounds that the day was their turn to rally and nothing would stop that. He furthered that the second accused uttered that they would bulldoze the checkpoint if the police failed to open it and also threatened that the war SLPP were yearning for would begin at the checkpoint. The PW2 said he tried to talk sense into the second accused but she was so adamant that her followers started raining invectives at him and even threatened to bulldoze the checkpoint, adding that the situation became too tense when an APC reinforcement from Makeni got to the checkpoint. He said one of those he identified from the APC entourage that arrived from Makeni was the first accused, Hon. Mohamed Bangura.

AIG Gabriel Tommy said the situation was so tense that the first accused held him on his neck during which Dr. Samura Kamara and Alhaji Foday Osman Yansaneh arrived at the scene and intervened, whilst Dr. Samura Kamara interrogated the first accused. The PW2 said the APC crowd rudely opened the checkpoint and drove off, whilst he identified the vehicles with registration numbers AMF 852 and AST 632 that were full of APC irate members and supporters that used invectives against him severally and even threatened to ride over him should he stand on their way.

The PW2 was cross-examined by Defense Counsel Lansana Dumbuya Esq. representing the first accused, whilst Lawyer Brima Koroma Esq. representing the second accused also cross-examined the police boss.
The matter comes up again on Thursday 15th September 2022.