By Mohamed Mansaray in Kenema

Ibrahim Kennie, a resident of 16 Upper Kabba Street, Burma 3 Section in Kenema, has been sent to jail for five years by Magistrate Mustapha Briama-Jah of Magistrate Court No. 2 in Kenema for larceny contrary to Sec.2 of the Larceny Act of 1916.

According to the particulars of offence, the accused on Tuesday, September 17, 2024 at IDA axis in Kenema stole one Samsung Galaxy V8 mobile phone valued at Five Thousand, Five Hundred New Leones (NLe5,500), property of Augustine Kowa.

The accused pleaded guilty and begged for mercy and was sent to jail at the Sierra Leone Correctional Service in Kenema for a jail term of five years.

In another news, Sulaiman Amara, a self-employed adult at How-For-Do Lorry Park in Kenema, was arraigned before resident Magistrate Braima-Jah on two counts. Count one is wounding contrary to Section 20 of the Offences Against the Persons Act of 1861 and count two is assault occasioning actual bodily harm contrary to Section 47 of the Offences Against the Persons Act of 1861.

According to the particulars of offence, the accused person on Wednesday, August 2, 2023 at city council in Kenema, maliciously wounded Brima Juana. On the aforementioned date and venue, the accused caused assault occasioning actual bodily harm to the said victim. The accused pleaded not guilty but he was found guilty by the court. He begged for mercy.

In plea mitigation, Defence Counsel Patrick Kamara of Legal Aid Board in Kenema, pleaded with the Magistrate to tamper justice with mercy and that no previous prosecutions against his client for any criminal matter. Mr. Kamara told the court that Sulaiman Amara is a breadwinner of his family. He further pleaded with the Magistrate to impose an alternate punishment instead of custodian sentence. Defence counsel Patrick Kamara also pleaded with Magistrate Brima-Jah that the convict has little children that are attending school.

In his Judgement, Magistrate Braima-Jah, having heard from the Prosecution and Defence Counsels, was mindful not to impose a custodian sentence but an alternate. Sulaiman Amara was fined five hundred New Leones to the complainant and five hundred New Leones to the State or go to jail for six months. Magistrate Braima-Jah told the court that “conviction is very serious and that people should be mindful of convictions but not what they pay to the State,” he Cautioned.

Inspector Aiah Mafinda Teh and PC 15361 Vonja Thomas prosecuted the matters on behalf of the State.