February 23, 2021
By: Audrey. R. John
The Member of Parliament of Constituency 56, Honorable Alhaji Musa Bamba Foray Jalloh took the witness stand and explained before magistrate Wilbri Hamida Moria John of Ross road court No.1 in Freetown how accused persons Abass Bangura and six others, armed with weapons attacked his resident, ransacked it and catered away properties worth over Thirty Eight Million Leones.
The accused persons in said matter are answering to four counts charges of Conspiracy to Commit Felony, Robbery with Aggravation, Wounding with Intent, Wounding and Assault Occasioning Actual Bodily Harm.
Explaining his ordeal in court, Hon. Jalloh said on the 13th of September 2020, he was at home around 2 am in the morning sleeping with his family when he heard a loud bang on his door. He said few minutes later he saw group of men holding cutlasses, and other weapons.
According to Hon. Jalloh, “one of them instructed the others to chop and kill him. I was slashed on the head and left hand,” he said.
Explaining further, Hon. Jalloh said he managed to rise on his feet and with the help of his eight month pregnant wife, fought to close the door behind the thieves.
“I tried my level best to close the door, but unfortunately I was over powered by the thieves, who invaded my house, vandalized and stole properties worth over thirty eight million Leones,” he testified.
Hon. Jalloh said after the incident, he called the police who rushed to the scene and took him to the hospital for treatment. He said the police later went to the scene, and took snap shot of the ransacked properties and conducted further investigation.
He said the following day, the Local Unit Commander of Waterloo Police station showed him some phones which he identified as his properties.
Testing his evidence in Cross examination by Defense Counsel Madieu Sesay, Hon. Jalloh confirmed seeing the fourth accused on the date of the alleged incident. He said the police medical request form was issued to him the following morning.
Earlier in the investigation, Detective Police Sergeant 10214 Sahr Sellu attached at the Anti-Robbery Units at Ross road Police Station recognized both complainant and the accused persons in the dock.
He said on the 23rd September 2020, he was on duty when a case and enquiry file from Waterloo Police Station were sent to the Anti-Robbery unit at Ross road police station. He said the matter was assigned to him for further investigation.
The investigator said the file entails, the endorsed medical form of complainant, and obtained statement from complainant and his witnesses and that of the accused persons, the exhibits including one Itel phone, a crow-bar, a giant cutter, two cutlasses and a search warrant.
The investigator said on the 20th September, 2020 with the assistant of detective Sergeant 12089 Conteh S and the Line Manager Inspector Kamara A.T, obtained further interview from firstn accused person Yusuf Barrie, second accused person Santigie, third accused person Richard Bangura, fourth accused person Abass Bangura and 5th accused person Ibrahim Baba Saidu .
The investigator in continuation said on the 20th of November 2020, he charged the accused persons with the offence of conspiracy to commit felon, Robbery with Aggravation, wounding with intent, wounding and assault.
He produced the charge statement and tendered them to build the case of the prosecution at the end of his examination in Chief, The investigator said in cross examination that the accused on his investigation told the others “dis game don pwel, leh all man answer watin e do…” This krio expression translates as: The lid is blown; it is time for everybody to confess their deeds. The matter has been adjourned to the 25th February 2020.
