September 16, 2021
By Audrey John
Fourth prosecution witness in the ongoing preliminary investigation into the alleged murder at Hastings, Sergeant M. J. Bangura on Wednesday 15th September 2021 testified against one Foday Alimamy Yillah who is alleged to have shot one Alpha Kargbo a resident of Hastings.
According to the police, the accused, Foday Alimamy Yillah, on Thursday 15th April 2021, at Hastings Village in Freetown, unlawfully murdered one Alpha Kargbo alias “wan dada”.
Yillah is faced with one count charge of murder contrary to law.
In his testimony to the Court, Sergeant Mohamed Kargbo attached at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters recalled that on Saturday 17th April 2021, he and Sergeant Kargbo questioned the accused in respect of the matter, adding that he served as recorder while Sergeant M. J. Bangura served as witness.
He continued that on Sunday 16th April 2021, a team of police investigators, including him, headed by Superintendent M.K. Allieu visited the crime scene at Hastings Community.
He disclosed that at the crime scene, empty bullet shells were discovered by the team of investigators. He added that the team handed the bullet shells and one AK47 magazine to the Ballistic Expert for examination.
He also recalled that on Friday 30th April 2021, at the Connaught Hospital in Freetown, an autopsy examination was done by the country’s Pathologist, Dr. Simeon Owizz Koroma. He said at the end of the postmortem examination, a medical cause of death certificate was handed over to the team of investigators, while the deceased was handed to the family for burial.
He revealed that on the 31st May 2021, he and Detective ASP Osman Bobor Kamara interviewed the accused and charged him with the offence of murder. The said charge statement was tendered in court for it to form part of the evidence.
Testing the evidence in cross-examination, defense counsel, lawyer C. Campbell, argued that the witness did not state the name of the decease when he mentioned that he charged the accused with the offence of murder, but the witness said he did.
Lawyer Campbell put it to the witness that he didn’t and it was deliberate attempt to deceive the Court.
Magistrate Sahr Kekura ruled that the witness did not state the accused’s name.
Furthermore, the witness confirmed that he encountered an individual bearing the name Saidu Kargbo whom lawyer Campbell disclosed that he made statement as a witness. He also confirmed that the deceased went to the scene of crime with many youths, adding that these youths forcefully entered the vehicle of the police.
Lawyer Campbell told the Court that the deceased had a physical struggle with the accused while trying to retrieve his mobile phone from the accused, but the witness said he did not take that statement but he saw it on the court file.
Lawyer Campbell disclosed that according to exhibit C, the weapon allegedly used in an accident, but the Prosecuting team objected on the grounds that the witness is not the Ballistic Expert.
At this stage, there was argument and counter argument with regards some aspect of the evidence which the Prosecuting counsel thinks should be tendered by the Ballistic Expert.
Magistrate Sahr Kekura therefore adjourned the matter to the 21st September 2021, while the accused was sent to the male correctional Center in Freetown.