By Ibrahim Kabba Turay
After spending nine months on remand, popular rap-star, Amadu Bah ‘Boss LAJ’ was on Friday, 17th March, sentenced to nine years imprisonment for robbery and assault.
The rapper was arraigned before the court on four count indictments ranging from robbery contrary to Section 23(2) of the Larceny Act of 1916 and inflicting grievous bodily harm contrary to Section 20 of the Offences Against the Persons Act of 1861.
The convict, addressing Justice Fisher, said he had been in jail for the longest time in his life, and that he is not a thief and has never stolen from people.
“I have learnt my lessons with what has happened to me.I stand before you not as LAJ the icon, but as Alhaji Amadu Bah, a human being, a human being who makes mistakes, a human being who hangs out with the wrong people, a human being who was at the wrong place at the wrong time,” he pleaded emotionally.
He further pleaded with the judge, fans, and his family member for what has happened over the past months, noting that he took full responsibility of his action.
He said being a famous musician has caused him so much trouble than freedom.
After his plea, Justice Fisher stood down for over two hours and returned at exactly 17:14pm.
Justice Fisher said he was happy the convict was remorseful and noted that there are many ‘stupid’ people around him who caused him so much trouble.
“People who are icons should be good example as for them the bar is raised higher the way they conduct themselves and the way they approach issues even when they are provoked,” Justice Fisher
However, the state counsel was asking the judge to give LAJ 10-year imprisonment for each count and 4-year for the fourth count-grievous bodily harm.
LAJ was on Sunday, 12th June, 2022, in Freetown robbed Ishmael Kamara off four million, two hundred thousand Leones.
He also robbed one Christiana Koroma of one Techno mobile phone valued at one million, six hundred thousand (old) Leones, and on the same day maliciously inflicted grievous bodily harm on Musa Mansaray.
