By Jane B. Mansaray.
Sierra Leone Appeal Court Judge, Justice Monfred Momoh Sesay has ordered the Executive Director of the Legal Aid Board to assist a convict, Alpha Umaru Jalloh with food, lodging and transport fare to go back to his country of origin, Guinea.
Justice Monfred Momoh Sesay made the order yesterday when delivering sentence on Alpha Umaru Jalloh, a foreigner and convict of manslaughter indictment.
The male convict, who is assumed to be in his late twenties, was arraigned on an amended indictment of manslaughter which he pleaded guilty to, and was sentenced to five years jail term.
Alpha Umaru Jalloh was first arraigned for trial at the High Court on the 29th January 2020, on murder indictment which he pleaded not guilty to.
In an application for an amendment on the indictment of murder and statement of offense, State Counsel Joseph Ahmed K. Sesay substituted murder to manslaughter and unlawfully killed in the particulars of offence.
The application was made pursuant to section 148 sub-section (1) of the Criminal Procedure Act (CPA) No.32 of 1965.
Counsel submitted that the application would not cause no injustice to the accused person and the defense, but sought to reduce the much more serious offence into a lesser one of manslaughter.
The State prosecutor said he relied on the one witness that testified and the deposition of the remaining witnesses.
Justice Monfred Momoh Sesay granted the application, discharged the empaneled jurors and ordered for the fresh charge to be put to the accused person.
Particulars on the amended indictment read that the convict Alpha Umaru Jalloh on the 29th October 2016, at the Peace Market at Ferry Junction in Freetown unlawfully killed Mamudu Manjuru.
Giving a brief fact of the matter before the court, Lawyer Joseph Andrew K. Sesay said both the convict and deceased were friends working and serving as hustler at the Peace Market Lorry Park.
They were said to have received a tip from a driver, and from that tip an argument broke out between the two that degenerated into a fist fight. In the process, the accused person grabbed the deceased Mamudu Manjuru, lifted him up and dropped him (Manjuru) on a concert floor.
The two were separated by some onlookers, and later the deceased died as a result of the internal injury sustained to his abdomen.
In his plea of mitigation, Alpha Umaru Jalloh pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy, and further asked the Judge to free him so that he could go and continue with his future.
Defense Counsel, Ansumana Kanu from the Legal Aid Board informed the court that the convict is a first time offender, and had not wasted the time and resources of the court by pleading guilty to the amended indictment.
He said the convict had been on remand at the Pademba Road Male Maximum Correctional Centre since 26th November 2016 without bail.
The presiding Judge, Justice Monfred Momoh Sesay considered the time spent on remand in handing down sentence on the convict, and thereby ordered the defense counsel to perfect the order to the Correctional Service.
