By Mohamed Foday Conteh
Magistrate Mark Ngegba has sent eight commercial bike riders on remand at the Correctional Centre in Freetown for riotous conduct on Friday 26th November this year.
The eight accused men were brought to court on five count charges which included conspiracy, riotous conduct, assaulting conduct, intimidation and throwing missiles.
The police alleged that the eight men; Abdulai Jalloh, Unisa Marrah, Mohamed Marrah, Santigie Conteh, Kellie Juma Barrie, Balla Sankoh, Ibrahim Suma and Mohamed Kamara conspired together with other unknown persons to commit a crime to wit, riotous conduct.
The police prosecutor, Inspector Tejan Bangura led in Sergeant 11134 Umaru Koroma as his first witness in evidence.
Sergeant Koroma said he was on duty at the West End Police Station on Adelaide Street when his boss, Inspector Hawa Conteh ordered him to assemble a team which he did.
He said that he and some other police officers left for Syke Street via Ascension Town Road Junction, and upon arriving there they met a group of bike riders who were obstructing the flow of traffic along the road.
The sergeant said since that was a prohibition, they arrested three motorbikes; two with keys and one without a key. Sergeant Koroma said the two bikes with keys were taken to the police station by two of his colleague officers while he and another accompanied the other motorcycle without a key to the station.
He said on their to the station close to Kingtom Bridge, a horde of bike riders pursued them with sticks and stones and that the said motorbike was forcefully taken from them.
The police officer told the magistrate they both had to run for their lives.
The sergeant said when he arrived at the station after fleeing from the irate bike riders at Kingtom Bridge; he met another group of bike riders outside the Police station. He said this group of riders had jerry cans with fuel and were threatening to burn the station while invectives and other abuses were being rained on them.
Sergeant Koroma said they later called for reinforcement and later chased the bike riders and some of were caught.
During cross-examination by defence lawyer, Randy Bangura from Legal Aid Board, the sergeant affirmed that Syke Street is not a prohibited area for commercial motorbikes but that parking in a 25-feet junction is prohibited by the Traffic Act.
He said that one of the police officers that day, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) John Songo Mansaray was present at the scene as he was part of the reinforcement that chased the irate riders at Adelaide Street Police Station.
Magistrate Ngegba adjourned the matter to the 1st December 2021 with the prosecution set to bring in more witnesses to testify against the bikers who were remanded at the Male Correctional Centre.
Copyright © Politico Online 29/11/21
