Judge warns accused against dressing ‘fashionable’
June 8, 2016 By Hawa Amara
Standing confidently in the dock, neatly clad in black and white suit with a gold wrist watch and afro hairdo, like any celebrity, Mbaimba Moiforay’s appearance in court apparently did not win him the Judge’s approval as the latter cautioned the murder accused not to dress ‘fashionable’ in his court.
The herbalist and two others are before the High Court for the alleged murder of David Sydney Buckle aka DJ Cleff last May, but they deny all the charges.
Since their arrest last year, Moiforay has been coming to court gorgeously dressed like a celebrity. During his previous appearance, trial judge, Justice Alusine Sesay admonished him through his lawyer Ishmeal P. Mammie to dress modestly.
“You should always dress like an accused. Don’t bring that kind of haircut to court on the next adjourn date. You should not dress like you are going for a fashion pageant. I warned you on the last adjourned date against this type of dressing. I am not against you, but against your appearance,” the judge said.
His lawyer immediately moved towards the dock and whispered in his ears.
The trial itself did not continue because four jurors were absent. The judge told the foreman to contact the absentee jurors and ensure they make themselves available in court on the next adjourned date – 14 June, 2016.
“The trial is almost coming to an end and the jurors have started absenting themselves. The prosecution was supposed to have closed its case today, but how could they,” quizzed Justice Sesay.
Sixteen prosecution witnesses have already testified in the matter. But according to State Prosecutor A.V. Koroma, who has inherited the matter from Director of Public Prosecution Sulaiman A. Bah, they still have one more witness to testify before they close their case.
What is believed to be the remains of the popular disc jockey were dumped at the Murray Town cemetery last May. It took his relatives three days before they were told that an unknown corpse had been buried at the Waterloo Ebola cemetery.
Moiforay, Foday Amara Kamara and Avril Oredola Renner were arraigned on two counts of conspiracy and murder contrary to the laws of Sierra Leone, in connection with the disappearance and alleged murder of DJ Clef.
According to the police, the victim was allegedly murdered at the residence of the first accused, where he attended the birthday party of the third accused (Renner), on Friday, 22 May.