AYV News, May 28, 2025
The Legal Aid Board (LAB) has provided representation to 57 accused persons arraigned before the Honourable Justice Augustin K. Musa at the just concluded May Criminal Session of the High Court held on Monday 19 May 2024 at the Freetown High Court No. 1 at Siaka Stevens Street, in Freetown.
The beneficiaries were indicted on multiple offences ranging from conspiracy to defraud; murder; larceny in a dwelling house; wounding with intent; robbery; robbery with aggravation; assault with intent to rob; shop breaking and larceny; larceny from a person; larceny in a dwelling house; fraudulent conversion, etc.
From the 57 accused persons represented by the Board, 23 pleaded guilty to the offences charged and were sentenced to various prison terms, while three were put on bail, one was cautioned and discharged and one sentenced on time spent.
The beneficiaries were represented by Legal Aid Counsel: Cecilia Tucker; Cyril Taylor-Younge; Mustapha Karim Dauda and Bankole C.E Morgan.
In another development, the Board’s resident lawyers for Kono district, Counsel Alpha O. Kamara and Bo district, Counsel Jack John Harris, have on Wednesday 21 May 2025, represented and secured the discharge of fourteen accused persons from the courts. Eleven were released by Magistrate Joseph Tobby of the Sefadu Magistrate Court in Kono, while the remaining three were discharged by Honourable Justice Bans Kamara of the Bo High Court.
The Executive Director of the Board, Ms. Fatmata Claire Carlton-Hanciles has welcomed the releases and thanked the Board’s lawyers for keeping up to their task, noting that the Board will continue to carry out the criminal calendar of the judiciary. She seized the opportunity to thank the Chief Justice, His Lordship Honourable Justice Komba Kamanda, for witnessing the event climaxing the Board’s Tenth Anniversary. She also thanked the Judiciary for its indulgence in setting free innocent inmates.
