Human Trafficking …
Accused Sentenced To 10 Years Imprisonment
By Fatima Sesay
Justice Ivan Sesay of the High Court of Sierra Leone on Wednesday 21st April, 2021, sentenced Alieu Fofanah to ten years imprisonment for human trafficking.
It was alleged that the convicts; Alieu Fofanah and Alimany Chernor Kamara, on a date unknown between 1st April, 2019 and 17th September 2019 in Freetown, engaged in trafficking one Fatmata Alimatu Kamara from Sierra Leone to Oman, by means of deception for the purpose of exploitation.
The convicts were standing trial on six count charges ranging from conspiracy to commit human trafficking, engaging in human trafficking, money laundering, obtaining money by false pretence, contrary to section 18, 2 (2) 15 (1)(c) and 32 (1) of the Anti-human trafficking Act, 2005, Act No.7 of 2005.
In his ruling, justice Ivan Sesay JA said the victim, in her testimony, said that they first promised to find a program for her in Turkey, where she will further her studies, adding that the convicts took her to Oman, where she was working as a maid to one Arab man, who did not only maltreated her, but raped her, and she got pregnant. She also disclosed that her boss later forced her to remove the pregnancy, which she did.
Justice Sesay added that the victim revealed further in her testimony that she sometimes worked over 20 hours a day, without proper rest or food to eat. He said the victim told the court that she informed the first accused about the manner in which she was being treated in Oman, but nothing was done.
The judge said the first accused told the police that he speaks Arabic and that he had travelled with a lot of people to this Arab county. He further told the court that the victim said she called the accused several times, but he did not respond to her complaints.
“In the light of the aforementioned measures and the evidence adduced so far by the state, I find the accused guilty as charged” he ruled.
He said the first accused is guilty on count one and counts 5, while the second accused is guilty on count one.
In conclusion, he discharged both accused persons on counts two, three, four and six.
Justice Sesay then sentenced the first accused to ten years imprisonment and the second accused to 24 months imprisonment.