34 fraudsters receive jail terms for multiple registration

Bo, 21 August (SLENA): At least a total of thirty-four accused persons who pleaded guilty to the offence of multiple registrations during the last voter registration exercise for the November general elections have received jail sentences ranging from one year to two including a fine of five hundred thousand leones.

The 34 accused were convicted in the Bo and Kenema magistrate courts respectively. The accused were recently picked up by the crime management division of the two police stations and charged with the offence of knowingly seeking and obtaining registration as an elector for more than one ward contrary to the electoral laws of Sierra Leone.

While some of the convicts received two year jail term, others got one year. Some had no option but to pay a fine of five hundred thousand leones and at the same time serve one year prison term.

Eleven of them appeared in the Bo magistrate court. They included Kemoh Tarawallie, Ansu Sumaila Tarawallie, Musu Swarray, Hawa Swarray, Hawa Mansaray, Mamadi Jabbie, among others.

According to the Senior State Counsel in charge of the south and eastern regions, Mr. Aiah Simeon Allieu, other multiple registration cases are pending involving accused persons from Moyamba, Pujehun and Bonthe districts.

He said three from Moyamba district were freed for want of evidence. These are David Sulaiman, Khan Habibu and Tejan Amara. To those to be charged included Andrew Sesay, Tommy Bendu, Albert Pebakor and Fatmata Bangura.

In the Pujehun district, two suspects, Isata Sesay and Aminata Swalu have been arraigned for the same offence.

In Mattru Jong, Bonthe district, Kabba Bangura, Mustapha Swaray Gorgra and Sallay Solomon have also been charged for the same offence.

The police continue their investigation.

SMB/Bo/SLENA

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