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Magistrate Mark Ngegba of the Pademba Road Court No.1 in Freetown has remanded Abubakarr Conteh and five others at the Male Correctional Center on Pademba Road in Freetown in for allegedly behaving in disorderly and riotous manner.
The accused were apprehended by Sierra Leone Police (SLP) personnel during the Wednesday August 10, 2022, demonstration in different parts of the country. The accused appeared before the court on the aforesaid offences contrary to the laws of Sierra Leone.
The police say the accused, on Wednesday August 10, 2022, on Siaka Stevens Street in Freetown, were found behaving in a riotous and disorderly manner.
Led in evidence by Sergeant 9155 Dwight Macarthy, prosecution witness (PW) 1, Desmond Septimus Harding, told the court that he recalls the day in question.
Mr. Harding stated that the LUC submitted a report to them, which report he produced and tendered to form part of the court’s records.
He continued that on the same date, a team of investigators supervised by Inspector B.A Munu visited the various crime scenes and also obtained voluntary caution statements from the accused separately, adding that at the end of the statements, they admitted them to be true and correct by affixing their right hand thumbprints, which statements were produced and tendered in evidence.
Lansana Kamara, third prosecution witness (PW) 3 attached to the Central Police Division in Freetown, said he recognized the accused and could recall August 10, 2022.
On that day, he went on that he, the Local Unit commander (LUC), Mr. Tawarally, and others boarded a vehicle and left the said division, continuing that upon their arrival on Regent Road in Freetown, he saw a group of people rioting on the streets and as a result they started chasing them.
He said at Sani Abacha Street they encountered another group of people, where the fourth accused was arrested disclosing that the second, fifth and sixth accused were also apprehended at Cock Street in Freetown, including the third accused, who was held on Siaka Stevens Street.
The witness said the accused were taken to the Central Police Division for questioning and were subsequently charged to court.
According to Nightwatch, during cross examination by Defence Counsel Lansana Dumbuya representing the accused, he put it to the witness that the accused were arrested while rioting, which he answered in the affirmative, clarifying that a team of police officers effected the arrest.
Magistrate Ngegba denied the accused bail and were remanded at the Male Correctional Centre on Pademba Road in Freetown.
Sergeant 9155 Dwight Macarthy is prosecuting the matter, which was adjourned to September 9, 2022, for further hearing.
