October 12, 2021
By: Francis F.M. Harding
The accused persons Alpha Yayah Kanu and 9 others appeared before Justice Ivan Ansumana Sesay on 7th October, 2021 at the High Court Law Courts Building Siaka Stevens Street Freetown.
According to police charged sheets, the accused persons on the 4th April, 2020 at Bobbor Village murdered Mohamed Kallon a laborer of Upper Timbo Lane Bobbor Village Freetown and 28 years.
Testifying in court, PW6 Dr. Simeon Owizz Koroma Chief Medical Examiner explained some of duties including the training of medical students, train medical laboratory scientific officers, training as a chief superintendent of police, training of scientific police officers.
Witness said specifically he performed all autopsy examination for Republic of Sierra Leone both nationally and internationally. He continued that he carries out all exhumation for the Republic of Sierra Leone nationally and international. He said he attends court attendances without pay.
PW6 said he recalled on the 6th April, 2020 as he was at the Connaught teaching Hospital when he received a request and instruction from the chief medical officer and on the request of the chief coronal of Freetown to go to Bobbor between No.2 River and Bobbor.
He said on that day he carries out an exhumation and inspection at grave side and later a postmortem examination within the Mortuary Teaching Hospital on the body of Mohamed Kallon.
The witness said the body was identified in front of his presence by the following people Mr. Marcus Kamara of Bobbor village, Goderich Freetown, the investigating officer Detective Sergeant 3002 Kangbie who is attached to the Criminal Investigations Department Adonkia Police Station Goderich Freetown, is the Scene of crime Officer (SOCO) Detective Sergeant 11640 Conteh J.T. also attached to the Criminal Investigations Department Adonkia Police Station Goderich Freetown.
PW6 said at arrival at Jeff town Bobbor he was taken up to the hill and the grave side and the grave was identified and his team exhumes the body.
The witness said the exhumation was done on the 6th April, 2020 and the burial date was on the 4th April, 2020.
Dr. Koroma said they retrieved the body at the grave side and he uses his expertise to inspect the body and they decided to take the body to Connaught Teaching Hospital for investigations to commence and to carryout an autopsy.
Witness said he deduced his findings into a postmortem report and as per international practice he did issued a certificate of cause of death to the family.
The cause of death was due to stabbing with a sharp object (knife) and bleeding which led to acute hemorrhagic shock.
State Counsel Lawyer Jessie Tucker was giving his committal warrant; he said the accused persons were charged on three counts indictment dated on the 30th October, 2020 with the offences.
Count one conspiracy to commit murder, count two Murder and bury a human body in a place other than a cemetery. He continued to say that preliminary investigation was held in the magistrate Court and the accused persons were committed to stand their trial in this court on the 17th July, 2020. There were no objections from the defense counsel. The judge said before the accused persons to choose amongst the three options of stands.
The judge said he will adjourn the matter and when they come if they choose that they rely on their statement and if they are not calling no witnesses he will close the case and he will ask the defense counsel to address the bench and the juror and after the address he will do summing up after the summing up the juror can retire come back with their verdict.
Defense counsel J.M Jengo said the last beat will be comfortable for him and his clients as he will have conference with his clients if they are relying on their statement he will tell them the effect. He continued to say that it has far reaching effect when it comes to the punishment.
The matter has been adjourned to the 14th October, 2021.