May 20, 2016 By Hassan Gbassay Koroma
A murder trial involving two accused persons – Solomon Bondi and Hector Sesay – was Wednesday halted because just two of the 12 jurors were present in court.
Newly approved Appeal Court Judge, Justice Monfred Sesay, who was unhappy about the development, ordered that the remaining 10 jurors ought to be in court on the next adjourned date because “I will not be entertaining adjournment.”
The accused are standing trial before him on two counts of robbery with aggravation and murder, contrary to the laws of Sierra Leone.
They were remanded at the Pademba Road Correctional Centre.
Solomon Bondi and Hector Sesay were previously before then Magistrate Komba Kamanda (he is now a Judge), who committed their matter to the High Court after concluding preliminary investigation.
However, they were arraigned in the Magistrates’ Court on five counts of conspiracy to commit a felony, robbery with aggravation and murder contrary to law.
But the charges were reduced to just two – robbery with aggravation and murder – in the High Court.
State Prosecutor J.S. Tucker said that the accused persons and some unknown individuals had raided a house on No.9 Off Beckley Lane, Tengbeh Town, west of Freetown, on 1 January, 2015, and stole properties worth millions of Leones belonging to one Mohamed Abass.
The duo is also alleged to have murdered Daniel Salieu Kamara, a police officer who was deployed to guard the said residence.
The men were also charged with theft of an AK47 rifle valued US$1,400 and a magazine containing 30 live bullets priced at US$150, being property of the Sierra Leone Police Force.
The matter was adjourned until Wednesday, 25 May, 2016.