PHOTO: Police officer Sensee Kowo
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
The Second Judicial Circuit Court in Buchanan City, Grand Bassa County is expected to decide the fate of a deputy commander in Ganta, Sensee Kowo who allegedly flogged Motorcyclist to death in Ganta City, Nimba County in March last year, on Thursday, October 7, 2021.
The case in this court, which is presided over by Judge Joe S. Barkon, has lasted for almost a month. And the Judge is expected to hand down his verdict.
Police Commander Kowo was indicted by the grand jury of Nimba County for the crime of murder during the February 2020 A.D. term of Court for allegedly flogging to death commercial motorcyclist, Samuel Selleh.
But when the case was called, the defendant pleaded not guilty to his alleged murder charge, thereby joining issue with the state.
But the case was transferred from the 8th Judicial Circuit Court in Nimba to the 2nd Circuit Court in Grand Bassa on change of venue motion prayed for by the defendant on ground that he wouldn’t get fair trial due to sentiments.
Both the state and defense lawyers were told to send their legal memorandum on or before Wednesday, October 6, 2021 for final argument into the matter.
The defendant is being represented by Consortium law firm headed by Cllr. Arthur T. Johnson and while the deceased is being represented by the state.
This is a bench trial and it commenced on Tuesday September 21, 2021 in the port city of Buchanan, with state prosecutors producing two witnesses on the same day after the police officer pleaded not guilty.
Furthermore, the state also produced its final two witnesses on Thursday September 23,2021and rested with material and documentary evidence with reservation.
After the state rested with evidence on date mentioned above, the defendant Sense Kowo took the witness stand and testified in his alleged murder case on his behalf and other witnesses also testified on his behalf.
The Court is expected to request for extension of Court’s trial period from the Chief Justice for the conclusion of the case.
Background of the story
The late motorcyclist Samuel Selleh was allegedly flogged to death by the Ganta City Deputy Police Commander who is said to be on the run following the incident.
A 32-year-old eyewitness, Yei Yini, narrated that Selleh, who was a resident of the Peace Community in Ganta, had gone to the Jackie’s Guest House along with her son, Stanley Yini, where he met his untimely death.
Yei further narrated that she and one of their friends met her son and the victim in front of Jackie’s Guest House.
“My son said, ‘Mama, we just from the house but I didn’t see you there,” she said.
According to her, little did she know that the two security guards, who were on assignment at the guest house, had already called the Deputy Police commander, Sensee Kowo, who owns and runs the private security firm, Sky Security Guard Service, for which the guards work.
It was believed that somewhere along the guesthouse’s fence, some young men gathered there every evening to smoke and disturbed Jackie’s guests. Jackie’s Guest House, on the outskirts of Ganta, is one of the leading guesthouses in the bustling city that never sleeps.
The eyewitness further narrated that they were at the area where the incident occurred near Jackie’s Guest House when the former Police commander (defendant) Sensee Kowo was called by his two private security guards. They told him that some grown-up boys were near the guesthouse and doing something that wasn’t right. The boys can meet to the place to dance and do other things,” she further said.
According to her when Kowo arrived, it was just in that time that the 18-year-old victim and her son were making their way to the other boys.
She further said that the Deputy Police Commander wasted no time and without asking he just grabbed Selleh by his neck, while his private security friends began to “flog” him.
“When they later left him, he dropped and was then rushed to the E & J Hospital, but was pronounced Dead on Arrival eyewitness,” Yei explained.