Sierra Leone Telegraph: 12 March 2021:
The High Court in Freetown, presided by Justice A. K. Musa, yesterday acquitted and discharged former Mayor of Freetown – Mr. Herbert George-Williams and Abu Bakarr Daramy, who were accused of murder and conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm, following the death of the journalist – Ibrahim Samura.
Both the former mayor and Mr Daramy had spent over two years in custody at Pademba Road Prison, before their release a few months ago on bail.
The eleven Jurors gave their verdict to acquit yesterday, after State prosecutors failed to prove their case, despite questioning over ten witnesses, against the accused who had always protested their innocence.
Herbert George – Williams and Abu Bakarr Daramy were represented by Human Rights and Criminal Defence lawyers – Melron Nicol – Wilson, Lansana Dumbuya, and others. The state was represented by Umu Sumaray.
Photo Credit: Owl Press.
Actually I do not feel good about what happened to Mr. Ibrahim Samura, and we pray that the mighty divine God rests his gentle soul in peace. It is really a sad news to hear, taking an innocent life. Rest in peace Mr. Samura.
David Samura “ So how can you carelessly insinuate that Ibrahim Samura’s case is a political case. It is offensive to the family.” Hey David, I will like to believe that you are a logical person, albeit your unhinged response being peppered with a host of inconsistencies. Now let’s see if you can pass some logical test. During what circumstances or context was your late family member attacked? Was it a political event/context or otherwise? If you agree that it was a political event, can we now factor in a political motive being a propellant in attacking your late relative? Finally, the individuals that were alleged to have attacked him, are they not politicians? If your answer to any one of my rhetorical questions is YES, do you now see your relative’s case being a POLITICAL CASE? Come on David, where exactly did I lose you?
Now, irrespective of how you will want to paint things David, you will be climbing a steep hill in trying to convince logical individuals (as was the selected jury in this case), that a highly educated former mayor, in the presence of hundreds of irate youths, will stupidly choose to jump into a physical attack being subjected towards a journalist. Upon all the zealous youths present at the political event, with eagerness to strike at the slightest command by a superior figure, Mayor Herbert, somehow chose to do the dirty job himself. Highly unconvincing. Was it not long ago that former Ernest Bai Koroma was accused by some SLPP supporter to have been involved in pelleting stones at the SLPP candidate compound, Josephine Jackson?
Also, was there a time in our nation’s contemporary history, when a political leader or party candidate was arrested and charged to court, simply because his/her supporters attacked or killed someone at a political event? Now in regards to you thinking I am an APC member, what should I say. Hahaha. You are just being a typical delusional political diehard. Whenever one is seen as being critical of another party, the label, you are on the opposition will soon follow. So I am not surprised at all David. But for your information, I have never registered, voted, or participated in any political event in my home country. Here in America, I am a registered Democrat, and I have been voting in every election since 2008.
“We continue to pray for the soul of journalist late Samura to rest in perpetual peace” Young4na
Young4na, do you honestly wish Samurai’s soul to rest in peace? As a relative of the late man I don’t think that you do. How would you include the late Ibrahim Samurai’s case in the political sentence that followed immediately after your hypocritical sympathy for Samura. If you do not know, please be informed that Ibrahim Samura made a formal complaints to the Police after he was assaulted in 2018. He named the former Mayor and Daramy among the group of people that assaulted him. And the time he made thev statement, your party our party the APC was still in its last days in office.
After loosing the election, this same mayor and some hypocritical elders of our party the APC went to the family house in Brookfield to beg Ibrahim Samura to withdraw the report from the Police. Because of his love for the same APC party which you and I belonged to just as Ibrahim Samura was, he unfortunately made a withdrawal statement to the police and the matter was closed because it was a case of assault. A month and half after that unfortunate withdrawal Samura developed complications in the head where he had complained he was hit. He did not survive the complication.
The pathologist found out that he died from blunt force to the head and ruled it as homicide. As a homicide, it is a state case and in this particular case, there was already a case file with statement of the deceased and witnesses and also a certified medical report. So how can you carelessly insinuate that Ibrahim Samura’s case is a political case. It is offensive to the family. We know what took place during the trial. Acquittal in criminal cases does not imply that the accused did not commit the crime, it is that the prosecutor did not prove the case.
I think that the APC deserves all the unfair treatment because they have never really acted responsibly as a government.
We continue to pray for the soul of journalist late Samura to rest in perpetual peace. Nevertheless, this regime has left an indelible mark in terms of how the rule of law and justice is dispensed in our nation. Since coming to power, almost all political cases, such as the one involving Dr. Sylvia Blyden, Paolo Conteh, and now mayor Herbert Williams and Abu Daramy, were brought up on trumped up charges.
The only crime these political heavy weights are guilty of, is belonging to the main opposition party. Since returning to Democracy, our nation has never witnessed such a calculated plot to dismantle and annihilate an established political regiment.