By Jane B. Mansaray.
“If anyone can come and make a statement or testify that he or she saw me anywhere near in Koidu City or Kono district on the 14th February 2020 it means I’m guilty of the offence I’m standing trial for”, the 2018 Presidential Flag bearer of the Alliance Democratic Party (ADP) Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray openly challenged in court yesterday.
The leader and Chairman of ADP Party Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray threw the challenge while leading evidence in defense of the alleged sexual penetration case against him.
The defense witness (DW) 2 also directed the State Prosecutor, Umu Sumaray and Police investigators to go through Orange and Africell Mobile Network Companies respectively for call log history to know his actual location on Valentine’s Day of 14th February 2020.
As an opposition leader and businessman, Kamarainba said he knew the alleged 15-year-old girl child victim in the matter through the second accused person, Marion Aruni.
Led in evidence by Lawyer Amadu Koroma, Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray said he did not have sex with the victim and will never have sex with a minor.
Mr. Mansaray denied allegation of conspiring with anyone to have sex with the victim, neither did he meet the victim privately for the purpose of having sex with her.
According to Mr. Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray, after the 2018 Presidential election, he travelled to the United States of America to see his family and returned home before Christmas to pursue his three hotel building projects in Kono, Bo and Makeni. “Throughout that period in 2019 I have been working on the construction project of my hotels”, DW2 stated.
Sometime in January 2020, Mohamed Kamarainba said he was at his construction site at John Kellie Street in Koidu when one Mr. Aruni, husband of the second accused person approached him (Mansaray) on request as to if he (Kamarainba) can hire him (Aruni) to work at the above site. “As a fairly old man by his looks, I told him he was too old to do a construction job, but Aruni said he would volunteer to come around and monitor the site”, DW2 testified.
On the following day, the witness said Mr. Aruni came with his wife (2nd accused) and two young children who were between the ages of 2& 4 years old and introduced them as his children, and on the same day the victim was shown to him. “That was the very first time I saw her”, Kamarainba stressed.
Within the same week, Marion Aruni came with her two young children asking for a favour from him, based on rumor that he (Kamarainba) is helping school children around the Tankoro area in Koidu.
Mr. Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray said he instantly gave the sum of three hundred thousand Leones to Mrs. Aruni, which sum he equally gave as support to other pupils.
The witness continued that he was passing along John Kellie Street when Madam Aruni alerted him and introduced a fair tall black woman as the alleged victim’s mother.
The mother thanked him (Kamarainba) for the good gesture, and further expressed help for her child who was at the National Primary School Examination (NPSE) stage.
DW2 named some of the pupils he had financially and materially supported in their schooling including 15-year-old Junior Secondary School (JSS3) pupils.
In the same January 2020, on the request of Madam Aruni, he bought two mobile phones for her daughter who she said lives in Freetown.
In Kono, the witness said he handed over the phones to Mrs. Marion Aruni, and on the 2nd February 2020, Marion and the victim’s mother asked for assistance for the enrollment of the victim in a private school. “Myself, Marion Aruni, her two children and victim went to the said private school where Mrs. Aruni’s son was attending”, he informed the court.
At the school, the witness said the Principal told them that the intake enrollment had ended and needed to wait for the next academic year.
“My last meeting with this family, is when both Mr. & Mrs. Aruni and the victim’s mother insisted for him (Kamarainba) to know where the victim’s biological mother was residing.
“Mrs. Aruni and her children escorted me to the alleged victim mother’s residence, and at the house I met the victim and father, who also extended thanks to me for the schooling of their daughter”, he confirmed
One joke the alleged victim mother’s made was “Na for hold seriousness because Kamarainba ready for help u up to university, en wae u learn book man nor go make style Pa u, en when u learn book na good man dem lek Kamarainba dem go marade u”.
“I left Kono on the 2nd February 2020, but before leaving I supported the birthday party of the alleged victim with a crate of soft drink on the request of Mrs. Aruni”, Kamarainba said.
On the 3rd and 10th February 2020, DW2 said he was with his guest from Switzerland in Freetown and after his guest had left for Swizerland, he Kamarainba also left Freetown on the 11th February 2020 for Makeni, and had since then and all throughout the 14th February 2020 been in Makeni with his workers and girlfriend by the name of Isha.
Bail was refused and the matter wasadjourned to the 3rd June 2021 for continuation of DW2 testimony.
