KONSU Case Takes New Twist

KONSU Case Takes New Twist

…As Complainants Turn Witnesses

By Theophilus S. Gbenda

The court matter between Paramount Chief Paul Ngaba Saquee of Tankoro Chiefdom, Kono District and Kai Francis Moiba as complainants versus seven members of the Kono Students Union (KONSU) as defendants, has taken a new twist, with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) taking over the matter from the Inspector General of the Sierra Leone Police (SLP).

During the initial hearing on Thursday 17^th March 2011, the complainants absented from the proceedings, only to turn up in yesterday’s March 23^rd sitting as prosecution witnesses.

Led in evidence by State Consul, Yusif S. Koroma, Paramount Chief Paul Ngaba Saquee testified that on 15^th March 2011, just after a public disclosure event organized by Koidu Holdings Limited at the Miatta Conference Center in Freetown, he was safe in his car ready to depart, when a group of protesting students started banging at the car and in the process smashing the rear left side glass costing One Million Leones.

Chief Saquee went on to testify that it was as a result of the smashing of the glass that his driver decided to engage the reverse gear in a bid to flee further harm.

“My driver hit a vehicle that was parked behind us”, Chief Saquee said, adding that “We were able to escape afterwards with the assistance of two or three police officers”.

According to PC Saquee, he drove off straight to the Office of Vice President, Chief Samuel Sam Sumana, whom he said immediately summoned the Inspector General of Police, Francis Munu.

PC Saquee was going to dilate on the instructions VP Sam Sumana subsequently passed on to IG Francis Munu, when Presiding Magistrate, J.O.P. Wellington, cautioned him saying, “That evidence is irrelevant”.

Continuing, PC Saquee informed the court that on leaving VP Sam Subhuman office, he went directly to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and made a formal complaint.

He pegged the number of students that allegedly attacked his car at 30, and said he does recognize all seven accused persons in the dock.

During cross examination by Defence Lawyer Umaru Napoleon Koroma, PC Saquee in response to the question of how many students he complained to the CID, said “four – the 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd and 6^th accused persons”.

“So the 4^th, 5^th and 7^th accused persons are not supposed to be here?”, Lawyer Umaru Napoleon Koroma asked; but the witness was told by Magistrate J.O.P. Wellington not to respond to that particular question.

Asked further by Lawyer Napoleon Koroma whether he physically saw the seven accused persons banging at his car, PC Saquee answered in the negative, saying “I did not see any of the accused hitting my car”.

Lawyer Napoleon Koroma then put it to PC Saquee that the only reason why the accused persons were charged to court is because they happen to be executive members of KONSU and that the 6^th accused Sahr Kelly was busy taking an examination and not even present at the Miatta Conference Center at the time the incident occurred.

Lawyer Napoleon Koroma further put it to PC Saquee that his testimony was based on lies, but the latter insisted on his evidence being factual.

Earlier, PC Saquee had made it clear that “I cannot confirm that 6^th accused Sahr Kelly was present or not at the scene, but I can confirm that I saw him at about 10:00am just before the public disclosure ceremony started, and we even shock hands”.

In his evidence, 2^nd Complainant Kai Francis Moiba turned prosecution witness, said he was trying to calm down the students when they descended on him and treated him to a good beating. “I recognize all seven accused persons in the dock and all of them were involved in the beating”, Kai Francis Moiba said.

Asked by Defence Lawyer Umaru Napoleon Koroma whether he was in a vexatious mode while trying to calm down the students as he claimed, Kai Francis Moiba said “I was not in an angry mode. I was only trying to caution them against humiliating their own paramount chief in public, and in Freetown particularly”.

The matter was adjourned to 31^st March 2011, with the accused persons expected to present their witnesses.

In an interview outside the court, KONSU President, Emmanuel Sahr Jimissa, expressed concern that the matter has suddenly changed hands, noting that “I suspect a foul play”.

Accordingly, the DPP’s office took over the matter so that it does not depict a situation wherein a paramount chief takes his own subjects to court.

“It doesn’t change anything, because we still have a situation wherein a paramount chief is testifying against his own subjects”, said an observer.

Meanwhile, Lawyer Umaru Napoleon Koroma has said that the taking over of the case by the DPP’s office is not anything to worry about, adding that “Maybe the state has decided to take over the matter because it is a paramount chief that is involved”.

The court room was crammed by KONSU members from across the country and relatives of the accused persons who turned up to show their solidarity.

The seven students include Emmanuel Sahr Jimissa - President of KONSU (1^st Accused), Tamba Simeon Johnny - Ex-President of KONSU 2009-2010 (2^nd Accused), Songor Sahr John Koedoyoma - Ex-President of KONSU 2008-2009 (3^rd Accused), Sahr Foray Moiba - KONSU Unit President of Njala University College (NUC) Mokonde Campus (4^th Accused), Sahr Lamin - KONSU Unit President of the Institute of Public Administration and Management (5^th Accused), Sahr Kellie – Secretary General (6^th Accused) and Komba Perry Nyandebo – member (7^th Accused).