Corpun file 20350

Concord Times, Freetown, 10 July 2008

19-Year-Old Subject to Public Flogging

By Amara Bangura

Emanuella Harding of the Makeni Magistrate court last week ordered the police to flog 19 year old Santigie Bangura for petty theft.

At the court, Bangura admitted to stealing five tins of sardines worth Le 10,000 from a kiosque near NP Junction in Makeni. "I was hungry and I had no alternative but to steal the sardines," he told the court.

After listening to his confession, Magistrate Harding decided not to hand-down the sentence according to the law.

"Sending Bangura to prison for five years would be a waste of government resources for such a minor offence," she said.

Instead, in an unusual move, she ordered the police to give Bangura twelve lashes in public view inside the court room.

Harding was not satisfied Bangura received the lashes without crying out loud so she ordered for extra twelve strokes.

After receiving the 24 lashes, Bangura sustained minor injuries on his back.

Many eye witnesses at the court lauded Magistrate Harding's move because they believed sending Bangura to prison was not only a waste of government resources but will also not do him any good as his association with hard core criminals in prison may worsen his situation.

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