Honourable Justice Nicholas Browne-Marke is expected to deliver his verdict on Sierra Leone People’s Party’s (SLPP) Chairman for Constituency 104, Abdul Aziz Carew and his co-accused Abdul Quee on Wednesday 16th May 2012. This was made known during the last adjourned date of the proceedings.

It could be recalled that the two accused persons were both standing trial for three count charges of Wounding with Intent contrary to Section 18 of the Offenses against a Person’s Act. Abdul Aziz Carew will be hearing whether or not he has been found guilty of wounding former SLPP strongman who has now defected to the ruling All People’s Congress (APC) party, Mr. Lansana Fadika.

The case before the court alleged that Abdul Aziz Carew during a bye-election in February in Constituency 104 in the Fourah Bay community used a very sharp object to stab Lansana Fadika on his right leg causing him grievous bodily harm.

Chairman Aziz Carew, Awaiting Judgment day

What has been established by the police medical report is that indeed Lansana Fadika sustained an injury. This in essence certified that a felonious crime was committed. What was in contention was who of two men, Aziz Carew and another man who is said to be at large, inflicted the wound on Lansana Fadika.

Prosecution witnesses, who testified including Lansana Fadika, told the court that it was Aziz Carew who did the stabbing but defense lawyers contended that in a television interview just after the incident took place in February, Lansana Fadika said it was the other man who stabbed him. Recordings of the said interview were not played in court because it does not meet the threshold for submission as evidence in the matter.

The original video recording had been significantly edited and re-editted and combined with other footages.

Thus, it is left with Hon. Justice Browne-Marke to decide, in his wisdom, out of all the evidence submitted in front of him, as to which side of the two versions of the allegations is true.

In the case of Abdul Quee, a military officer, who is also in the same matter as the second accused, it was alleged that he also wounded two people. Witnesses for the prosecution told the court that he used an old electric iron to hit a man called Abdul Lamin (aka Amerikin), an aide of Lansana Fadika.

Witnesses claimed that when Amerikin, Lansana Fadika and two other people went inside Abdul Quee’s house to arrest Aziz Carew for stabbing Lansana Fadika, Abdul Quee came from behind and hit Amerikin with an electric iron causing him grievous bodily harm.

Abdul Quee is also alleged to have stabbed the Uncle of the sitting Member of Parliament of Constituency 104, Honorable Tunde Lewally.

However, Defense witnesses tried to establish a defense for Abdul Quee, claiming that during the time of the alleged commissioning of the said offenses, their client, Quee, was no way near his house.

Sources have revealed that party members, supporters of both SLPP and APC, journalists and family members of the two accused persons have planned to storm the court in hundreds to witness the verdict come May 16, 2012. Other citizens have called on the Police to be on full standby on that date.