IN THE COURTROOM
For Armed Robery Two Police Officers And Nine Others Charged To Court in Sierra Leone
By Unissa Bangura
Nov 25, 2009, 16:55

The entire vicinity of the Sierra Leone Law Court Building was yesterday  as tense with security personnel, especially OSD officers whom many people were in sympathy  with two of their colleagues,  ASP Mohamed Bayoh Bangura and Sergeant Alimamy Kamara were jointly charged with nine others for allegedly engaging themselves in criminal activities within the Western Area.The accused persons whose names are contained in five different files were charged with Robbery and Aggravation, Robbery with Violence, Accessing to the fact, Conspiracy to commit felony and unlawful possession of fire arms.

The first set of  alleged armed robbers that appeared yesterday before Magistrate Davies Cole were  Ishmael Deen Mansaray alias Tigana, Sonny Brenard, Alpha Yayah Wurie, Mohamed Kabbah alias Sisco, ASP Mohamed Bayoh Bangura and Ibrahim Bangura are all charged with five counts. The indictment alleged that on the 1^st, 7^th and 30^th of September this year at Dilette Street in the West part of Freetown robbed  one Amie of various items including   money that amounted to Two Million Seven Hundred Thousand  Leones. An additional count was added to the 4^th accused, ASP Mohamed Bayoh Bangura for having concealed and commanded his co-robbers to carry out with the act.   The accused were also indicted for unlawfully having in their possession fire arms including AK47 riffle on September 1st to 14^th November this year and operated at various parts in the Western Area including Loko Town.

In another, file One Mohamed Kabbah alias Sisco was charged for having in his possession twenty three small fire arms without licenses.

On the other file, four of the accused persons including the former senior OSD officer were also charged with Robbery with Aggravation dating from 1^{st and 7th} September this year at 26 beach road at Lumley beach in the West part of Freetown being armed with guns rob one Sia Augustina  the sum of Seventeen Million Leones (Le 17,000.000.00)

The third and fourth counts also indicted four accused persons including Mohamed Kabbah alias Sisco,Alpha Yayah Wurie, Lamin Kamara and Sorie Monrovia for unlawfully having in their possession fire arms while the 4^th accused was also charged for concealing and commanding the latter to carry out with the act. Another set including Alpha Yayah Wurie, Mohamed Kabbah, Idrisa Bangura and Police Sergeant Alimany Tamara were also docked for robbing  one Santigie Sesay alias Santigie Shilling the sum of  Le 90 Million and 2,500 United States Dollars at 10 Siaka Steven Street in the Township of Lunsar on Wednesday September 30,2009. Another robber Ibrahim Bangura was arrested and arraigned before the Court for robbing one Adeline Kargbo at Hill Station. The prosecuting counsels were G.D Soyie, Ivan Sesay and B.Nelson Williams.

Lawyer James Forna-Sesay and Lanasana represented the two police officers. They applied for bail to be granted to their clients, advancing various reasons that they are officers who have served the country for many years and also have reliable persons to stand as sureties for them. The Lead Prosecuting Council, Mr. Gerald Soyie objected to the application on the grounds that the offences are grave and there is possibility for them to repeat the act against innocent persons and the state.

All applications for bail were refused by Magistrate Davies Cole and the matter was adjourned to December 3.