March 18, 2016 By Hassan Gbassay Koroma
One Issa Samura (aka Colonel) has been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by Justice Alusine Sesay of the Freetown High Court after he pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery.
The accused was arraigned on two counts of robbery and robbery with aggravation, although State Prosecutor Ahmed J.M. Bockarr made an application for an amendment, stating that the charge of robbery with aggravation be deleted in the file, so that the accused would be tried for robbery alone.
The prosecution had alleged that on 6 August, 2010 in Freetown, the accused robbed one Emanuel Allen and catered away a Sierra Leonean passport valued Le200, 000, a high school diploma certificate valued US$200, college attestation valued Le30,000, a birth certificate valued Le20,000 and photographs valued Le90,000, all totaling Le1,140,000.
The prosecution further alleged that the accused robbed one Magdalene Deen Allen the sum of US$1,650, equivalent to Le6.5m at the time, Le100,000 in cash, a Sony Erickson mobile phone valued Le350,000, one Zain mobile phone valued Le40,000, a Sierra Leone National Identity Card valued Le20,000 plus other items, totaling Le7,510,000.
Counsel for the accused, O.R. Robin-Manson, pleaded with the judge to temper justice with mercy as the accused has spent more than six years in prison.
He said since he was arrested, the accused had been behind bars, adding that he is a family man, as he pleaded with the judge to consider the length of time the accused had spent in prison.
In his ruling, Justice Alusine Sesay sentenced the accused to ten years in prison, including time spent on remand.