Concord Times  Freetown

Government Set to Execute 10 for Treason

Regina Pratt - Freetown

The treason trial involving Daniel Sandy and 14 others, which started April 23 last year at High Court No2, has ended Monday.

Presiding Judge, Justice Bankole Rashid sentenced 10 of the accused persons to death and acquitted 4 whilst another was jailed for ten years.

Lance Corporal Daniel Sandy (Hard Guy), Issa Kanu, Captain Hindole Trye, Alhaji Kamanda (Gun Butt), Abdulai Tarawally and Richard Sellu Bockarie are among those sentenced to death.

The accused persons were charged with treason after attempting to overthrow the government of Sierra Leone through unlawful means.

Lamin Kamara, Mohamed Jabbie, Alusine Kamara and Abdul Paul Yamba Sesay were unanimously set free by the verdict of the eleven-man juror team presiding on the matter.

Defence Counsel C.A. Osho-Wiliams, in his plea of mitigation, called on the judge to be lenient in passing sentence considering that the offence carries the death penalty.

He said though the sentence is mandatory, the judge should temper justice with mercy.

Amadu Koroma, another defense counsel, says he respects the verdict of the jurors.

"I plead for a custodian sentence my Lord," he said.

Sahid Sesay, a member of the defense team, thanked the jurors for acquitting Mohamed Kamara, the 15th accused.

Justice Rashid says the 10 accused persons were found guilty on two counts of treason.

He said they will be taken from the Law Courts to a place of lawful prison where they would be executed and suffer death by hanging.

"Your corpses would be buried within the precincts of the prison and may the Lord have mercy on you," he stated.

Relatives of those convicted shouted and cried loudly as they were been carried away, whilst those acquitted walked out crying in anxiety with their relatives.

Daniel Sandy and Captain Hindolo Trye say the trail was not fair.