ROCKVILLE, Md. — A Liberian native once held on charges of repeatedly raping and molesting a 7-year-old girl was rearrested Monday night after missing a court hearing, according to a report in the Washington Post. Mahamu D. Kanneh, 23, of Gaithersburg, Md., was arrested Monday in Philadelphia on charges he allegedly failed to appear in court on Aug. 3 at a hearing involving a prosecution effort in Montgomery County, Md., to reinstate the rape charges, the paper reports. Kanneh was arrested after trying to elude Philadelphia police and it appeared he'd moved to the city from Philadelphia, the Post said. Kanneh could be extradited to Maryland as early as Thursday.
Last month, a judge dropped all charges in Kanneh's case because an interpreter who spoke the suspect's rare West African dialect could not be found.
Judge Katherine Savage ruled on July 17 that Kanneh, a Liberian who received asylum in the U.S. and attended high school and community college here, was denied a speedy trial after three years awaiting a court-appointed interpreter who could speak the tribal language of Vai. Linguists estimate that only 100,000 people speak Vai. Full Story - MagazineLane.com - Dutch Gardens
Last month, a judge dropped all charges in Kanneh's case because an interpreter who spoke the suspect's rare West African dialect could not be found.
Judge Katherine Savage ruled on July 17 that Kanneh, a Liberian who received asylum in the U.S. and attended high school and community college here, was denied a speedy trial after three years awaiting a court-appointed interpreter who could speak the tribal language of Vai. Linguists estimate that only 100,000 people speak Vai. Full Story - MagazineLane.com - Dutch Gardens
