Though, one guilty of human trafficking by law is required to spend the maximum sentence of 10 years, Judge Willie of the Criminal Court ‘A’ at the Temple of Justice stated that the court could not sentence Defendant Bangura for 10 prison years because report obtained by the court from the Probation Office about her character shows that she had no previous criminal record.

Judge Willie then ordered the Ministry of Justice to work with the Ministry of Gender and that of the Foreign Ministry to ensure the repatriation of the two victims involved with the case back to Sierra Leone, their homeland. 

Defense lawyer , Councilor Joseph Debbley took exception to the ruling and announced an appeal to the Supreme Court during its March 2019 Term, which is just a month away.

The Chief Prosecutor, who is also the Assistant Justice Minister for Litigation, Councilor Wesseh Alphonsus Wesseh hailed the ruling, saying that the prosecution had no problem with the ruling because it is in line with the law.

“The state has no problem with the Judge’s ruling because it was in line with the law, this case should serve as a deterrence to those in the habit of getting involved with criminality that the state is prepared at all times to prosecute those involved with criminality,” Chief Prosecutor Wesseh told this paper.

Defendant Bangura, who was in court for the ruling, wept bitterly claiming that she was innocent and that she was set-up by the man she identified as Lahai Kamara but fell short of saying how Lahai set her up.