By Mohamed K. Turay
The Mayor of Freetown, Yvonne Aki-Sawyer, yesterday testified at the Pademba Road Court No.1 in Freetown presided over by Magistrate Mark Ngegba.
She is facing a two-count charge of “obstruction of police duty and disorderly behaviour contrary to law”.
Testifying, Mayor Aki-Sawyer informed the court that among her duties and responsibilities, set out in the Local Government Act 2004, was to promote the welfare of citizens within the municipality of Freetown which made her to travel frequently overseas to seek external funds in complementing Government’s efforts.
When asked by the led defence counsel, Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara, as to whether she could recall the time she left Freetown for the United States of America; in response the Freetown Mayor said that on 17 September 2022, she was to travel to New York on an invitation extended to her by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and that she was to speak on the localization of the SDGs as part of the UNGA meetings.
Also part of the invitation, the Freetown Mayor noted, was to come along with a member of staff of the Freetown City Council (FCC). She added that, as a result of that, she was accompanied by the chairperson of the FCC Development and Urban Planning Committee, Councillor Sheku Turay, who separately received his own invitation.
On the date of traveling, she continued, whilst at the VIP lounge at the Freetown International Airport at Lungi having completed security checks and boarding passes handed over to her and Councillor Turay; she was on a conference call and the councillor went somewhere for Muslim prayers. She stated that later she heard through the airport’s public announcement system that the said councillor should report to Immigration.
She said she thought the councillor had not completed certain protocols for which he was needed.
Mayor Aki-Sawyer told the court that whilst she was on the phone, calls kept coming in repeatedly by unknown numbers and that she had to press a button that said: “Sorry I can’t pick your call”. Then suddenly, she noted, a text message came in saying: “Madam Mayor, this is Councillor ICT and I have been arrested and am currently at the Airport Police Station”. According to her, the Airport Police Station was about 150 meters from the airport.
According to the Freetown Mayor, upon hearing the news about the arrest of the councillor, she immediately contacted the Minister of Planning and Economic Development informing him about the arrest of Councillor Sheku Turay.
She told the court that the Minister’s response was for her to contact the Immigration at the airport. She said because she knew that the matter was a police matter; she decided to go to the police station to know the reason for the councillor’s arrested.
“My flight was about to take off, so I left for the said police station. At the station, I was only aware of one officer around at the time and heard the councillor’s voice calling for my attention”, Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyer narrated.
She informed the court that having looked through the narrow space at the police station; she saw a lady whom she assumed was a police officer in plain clothes. Upon inquiry whether or not the officers had Warrant of Arrest for the councillor, she continued, the junior police told her they were junior officers and therefore they could not provide an answer to her question.
After requesting that she speak to Councillor Turay, the Freetown Mayor said an officer offered to accompany her to the Local Unit Commander (LUC) whose office was in another building.
On the verge of leaving the room, Mayor Aki-Sawyer said she took out her phone and through a “video call” expressed deep concerns about her experience on the “arbitrary arrest of my councillor”.
She furthered narrated that on her way to the LUC, she received a call from the Air France Manager informing her that the flight was boarding; so she immediately left to board the flight.
When asked by the state counsel to confirm what time was she at the airport; she responded that she was there until 7p.m. and that she was on the conference call at about 6:45p.m when the announcement came through at the airport’s public announcement system for the councillor to report to Immigration.
When also asked whether Councillor Sheku Turay told her why he was arrested, the Freetown Mayor responded in the negative.
The state counsel asked whether she contacted any senior police officer when the councillor was arrested, she responded: “I chose not to call any senior police officer at that particular time because I have limited time”.
As the cross examination continued, the state counsel requested for an adjournment, saying that he had another matter at the High Court. But the defense counsel, Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara, objected saying that his commitment elsewhere was not relevant to the matter before the Magistrate.
Magistrate Mark Ngegba noted that it was the spirit of the court to ensure speedy trial but that he could not determine the number of questions the prosecution should ask.
The matter was adjourned to Thursday 19 January 2023.