By Lamin Fatty
The Basse Magistrate’s Court has on Wednesday 18th September acquitted and discharged five defendants who were charged to court following an inter caste conflict in Koina.
The accused persons were: Muhammed Camara, Muhammed Sanneh, Almami Camara, Ebrima Camara and Kinda Dembelly.
The accused persons were arrested on 24th August 2018 by the police at Fatoto station and transferred to Basse where they were alleged to have assaulted Marrie Samura, Kissima Gumaneh, Dawda Sanneh, Ousman Gumaneh and Jafara Gumaneh with stones causing them actual bodily harm.
The accused persons who are said to be members of what their neighbours called the slave class of their community, were first arraigned before Magistrate Omar Jabang of the Basse Magistrates Court on Thursday, 27th September 2018. They were charged to court on a single criminal count of assault causing actual bodily harm on four persons regarded as free born.
There is another case involving 22 people that stemmed from an inter caste scuffle which led to arrest and prosecution of suspects by the Police. The case has however been transferred to the high court. Five among the 22 suspects were discharged by the court while the other 17 were granted bail. That matter will be coming at the Basse high court on the 28th October 2019 at 10 am.
