By Ibrahim Kabba Turay
Justice Samuel Omodele Taylor has sentenced former 2018 presidential candidate for the Alliance Democratic Party (ADP), Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray and his co-accused, Marion Arouni, to 17 years each for the offence of sexual penetration.
The two were both before the Sexual Offences Model Court presided over by Justice Samuel Omodele Taylor on eight count of sexual offence charges involving a minor.
They made their first appearance on the 18th August 2021 at the Sexual Offences Model Court in Freetown.
The accused persons were granted bail on Tuesday, 7th September 2021 by the Sexual Offences Model Court on 8 counts of sexual penetration, meeting a child for sexual purpose and conspiracy, among others.
Delivering the judgment, Justice O.S. Taylor, said it’s very clear that the allegation against the accused persons was very serious and that the prosecution must prove their case beyond all reasonable doubt against the accused persons.
He said in the statement of the victim in court, she told the court that the accused sexually penetrated her five times in different places within Kono and in Freetown.
He added that it was the second accused that went with the victim to a nurse that planted a family-planning on the victim.
He added that the victim was able to identify every specific place within Kono and Freetown-at the residence of the first accused person where they had sex.
Justice Taylor said there was corroboration among the victim’s testimony in court, the medical report and the two accused’s person testimonies in court.
He said the first accused person even told the police that he was the one that bought a phone for the victim and promised her free education and take to abroad.
He said the defense made a no case submission after the prosecution had closed their case, but he ruled that there were sufficient evidence against the accused persons.
“After looking at the evidence, there was a systemic plan between the first and second accused person to sexually penetrate the victim. The stage was already set between the two accused persons,” Justice Taylor said.
“I have come to the conclusion that the persecution has proved their case beyond all reasonable doubt against the accused persons of all the eight count charges and the accused are found guilty of the offence of Sexual penetration,” he ruled.
