By Jane B. Mansaray.
The much murder trial of 5-year-old Kadijatu Madinatu Saccoh ended on Friday 19th March 2021 with both accused persons Mariama Sajor Barrie and Ibrahim Bah acquitted and discharged just after the 12-man-jury delivered a not guilty verdict.
The two accused persons sometime in July 2020 made their first appearance at the Pardemba Road Magistrate Court before Mark Ngegba for a Preliminary Investigation on two counts of murder and conspiracy to commit murder contrary to the laws of Sierra Leone.
It was alleged by the police that both accused persons on the 17th June 2020 at No.25 Spur Road in Freetown murdered the 5-year-old victim who was in the care of the first accused person Mariama Sajor Barrie, elder sister of the deceased mother Binta Barrie.
During the preliminary hearing, the state called several witnesses including the government Pathologist and forensic expert, Doctor Simeon Owizz Koroma who in his findings told the court that the victim died of manual strangulation, and lost verginity.
They were denied bail and Magistrate Mark Ngegba committed the matter to the High Court on the grounds that he was convinced that the Prosecution had adduced sufficient evidence against both accused persons.
After the January 2021 Judiciary Criminal call over session, both accused persons were arraigned in February 2021 before Justice John Bosco Allieu at the High Court for proper trial.
The prosecution was led by State Counsel, Josepha Ahmed Khalil Sesay.
Commencing with the matter, the prosecution led thirteen witnesses who testified on what they knew about the alleged incident.
At the end of the Prosecution’s case, defense counsels Alhaji Mustapha Kamara and Emmanuel Teddy Koroma led the accused persons in their defense on oath and other defence witnesses called by both accused persons.
On Thursday 18th March 2021, counsel from both sides made their final addresses on no case.
In his summing up, the adjudicating judge, Justice John Bosco Allieu directed members of the Jurors to limit their finding and outcome of the matter strictly to the totality of the evidence led on oath before the court and not on what is being said or published on social media.
Returning from retirement, the 12-man jury after digesting the evidence led so far and the addresses made by the state and defence counsels pronounced a unanimous verdict of not guilty on both counts indictment proffered by the Law Officers’ Department.
The trial Judge, John Bosco Allieu acquitted and discharged the accused persons on the indictment of murder and conspiracy to commit murder accordingly. “The entire matter is of bad blood, malice and tension as to the custody of the children, especially when both parents had separated”, Justice Allieu stated.
