By Ishmael Dumbuya
Seven land grabbers,including a senior police officer, have been charged to court for their involvement in the destruction of a house belonging to members of the Johnny Family.
In an interview with this medium, Chief Inspector Marrah, Local Unit Commander of the Waterloo Division explained that according to the complainants, the seven accused persons went and encroached on a land belonging to the Johnny Family at Magbaft Community, Newton.
He went on to state that that on the 19th January 2023, four of the accused were caught and detained at the Waterloo Police Division on accusations of land grabbing and vandalising a modern building on the land.
However, he said the four accused were pointing fingers at one Mohamed Bangura, a police officer attached to the Hastings Police Station, who according to them, was the one who sent them after realising that the eldest of the Johnny Family had died and that it was an opportunity to grab the hectares of land.
All attempts so far to reach Mohamed Bangura proved futile.
Chief Inspector Marrah further stated that the matter has been charged to court and that his Division will do all it can to bring those culprits to book, especially the officer that was accused of orchestrating the vandalism.
Issues of land grabbing in the Newton Community is not a new phenomenon as a lot of people have lost their lives and some sent to prison for land grabbing occurrences.
ASP Jalloh, who is the LUC in the Newton Community,emphasised that the grabbers must be punished for their hands in the vandalism. He also clarified that the accused have been sent on remand and the matter will come up today, Monday, February 13.
