Why I Sentenced Kamarainba to Prison – Justice Taylor

Justice Samuel O. Taylor has given details into the conviction of popular Sierra Leone politician and 2018 Presidential aspirant of the Alliance Democratic Party (ADP), Mohammed Kamarainba Manasary.

The Judge who sits on cases at the Sexual Model Division of the High Court in Freetown sentenced Kamarainba to 17 years imprisonment on Friday.

According to Justice Taylor, Kamarainba and his co-accused, Marion Aruni were found guilty on all eight charges against him, hence the sentencing. Count 1, conspiracy; count 2, sexual penetration; count 3, sexual penetration; count 4, sexual penetration; count 5, sexual penetration; count 6, meeting a child for sexual purpose; count 7, meeting a child for sexual purpose; and count 8, aiding and abetting.

According to Umu Sumaray, the State Attorney who prosecuted the matter, “[First] accused found guilty in [c]ounts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 8 = 15 years to run concurrently. Guilty in [c]ounts 6 and 7 = 2 years each, to run concurrently. Therefore, [first] accused is sentenced to 17 years.”

Second defendant, Aruni, according to Sumaray, was found guilty on two counts — conspiracy, and aiding and abetting — and she was “sentenced to 15 years each, to run concurrently.”

Both convicted felons have been in jail since 2020; in fact Mansaray was arrested in July 2020.

However, the lead defense lawyer for Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray, Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai, says the judgement on their client is unfair and doesn’t represent the entirety of the evidence. “We will appeal after getting the judgment from the court. At hearing the ruling, there are several grounds for appeal,” he said.