By: Audrey Raymonda John
First prosecution witness in the ongoing preliminary investigation into alleged murder involving the General Manager of Sky Bank, Ikubolaje Nicol, Police Constable Mustapha Conteh, a resident of Sumaila Town, attached at the Mountain Division, disclosed that he works as a security guard at the accused resident at Leicester in Freetown.
The GM, Nicol, is faced with a count of murder, conspiracy to murder and perverting the course of justice. According to the police, the accused person on diverse dates between the 15th and 16th October 2022, at Leicester Village, conspired together with other persons unknown to murder Sinnah Kai Kargbo.
PC Conteh recalled that on the 15th October 2022, he reported for work and met the accused at home. He disclosed that at 12 midnight, the accused woke him up from his security post and drove out.
The witness continued that at around 1am on the 16th October 2022, the accused left the house for the second time. “Until 6am in the morning when I was leaving the compound, the accused called me and his caretaker.
“I and the caretaker entered his apartment and when he got there he requested that we help him carry his girlfriend who was feeling bad.
“When I entered, I saw a lady lying on the bed, while another lady was lying on the floor of the bathroom. The fair in complexion lady that was lying on the floor was naked. I, the accused private security and the accused took the lady in an effort to carry her to the hospital, but at that time, she was nervous and she was biting her own tongue,” the witness revealed.
The caretaker took something and placed it on the mouth of the deceased, but the accused told his private security to find a dress for the deceased.
The caretaker took white T-shirt and black trousers which he placed on the deceased. Within that period, the accused removed his vehicle from the car park and placed it on the entrance.
“I, the caretaker and private security lift the deceased and placed her inside the vehicle, while the accused requested that they helped him carry the deceased to the hospital. The other black in complexion lady disappeared from the scene while we were rushing the deceased to the hospital,” PC Conteh narrated.
The witness added that they drove to Shuman Hospital at Poultney Street in Freetown, adding that when they arrived at Shuman hospital, the accused took the deceased inside the hospital and informed the nurses of her condition, while the witness and the caretaker stayed behind.
He also mentioned that the nurses that came outside to respond to the deceased used a medical equipment to examine the deceased before she was being carried inside the hospital on a wheel chair. The witness said he left the hospital for his house. “On Monday, when I report for work, I learnt that somebody had died in the house of the accused,” the witness concluded.
After the testimony of the witness, Defense Counsel, lawyer Roland Wright, told the Court that he hasn’t any questions for him.
Second prosecution witness, Augusta Kamara, a nurse practitioner, disclosed that she had worked at Shuman Hospital for the past three years.
The nurse practitioner disclosed that the accused is her patient for more than a year. Nurse Kamara recalled that on the 16th October 2022 she was on duty at the Shuman Hospital, giving medication to a sick patient at around 6:45am when she received a request form from the receptionist who called for attention.
Nurse Kamara said when she enquired; the receptionist told her that they needed blood, for they had an emergency. “I left where I was and went downstairs to attend to the emergency case. Nurse Kamara added that she prepared a trail that contains medical equipment such as BP machine, and other,” he told the Court.
“But the way and manner I saw the patient, I decided not to touch her, but requested for the intervention of the doctor. The deceased had wounds on her mouth and frosh was coming out of her mouth too, and she wasn’t breathing at all,” the nurse explained.
Nurse Kamara told the Court that she instructed the potters to convey the deceased on a stretcher, while she went and prepared a bed for her.
On her way going, she met the accused standing by, and he was saying “aaaaa me una hep me” the nurse mentioned that she asked the accused where she got the patient from, adding that the accused replied that they came from a nightclub at around 2am. The witness also mentioned that she asked why the accused did not bring the patient immediately she realized she was sick, but according to the witness, the accused did not respond, rather he was crying for help.
Nurse Kamara mentioned that she called on a colleague, Mary informing her that they had an emergency that needs to be taken to ICU. Kamara recalled that she and her colleague coincidentally went to call the doctor who examined the patient and later asked after the person that brought her. She told the Court that the doctor revealed that the patient had already died before she was brought to the hospital.
“The accused came to the scene and asked if the patient had died, and one of the potters responded in the affirmative.” Upon hearing that, the accused rushed down the stairs and left the building. The doctor asked after the accused but he was nowhere to be found,” the witness disclosed.
She continued that the doctor instructed the potter’s to take the corpse down stairs which they did. “When the doctor and I came down, the doctor asked after the accused again, but couldn’t find him. When we interrogated the two men that accompanied the deceased to the hospital, they responded that they have not seen the accused,” nurse Kamara revealed.
The witness said she asked one of the men if he were the accused’s driver, but he declined. Nurse Kamara told the Court that she insisted that they carry the deceased along, adding that the corpse was later placed inside the vehicle. The witness said the receptionist removed his phone number from the file, and when he was called, the accused responded that he was going to come back to the hospital.
During cross-examination of the witness by lawyer Roland Wright, the witness responded that doctors, at Shuman Hospital usually see patients in observation room and surgery room.
She also disclosed that the ICU is used to accommodate unconscious patient. When he was confronted that she spends between two and three minutes looking at the patient inside the vehicle and had examined her before her demise, she denied it.
When defense counsel, lawyer Wright, asked how many hours after death does stiffness of body takes place, the witness said she doesn’t know.
Defense Counsel put it to her that the witness testimony that the deceased had spoon in her mouth indicates that the deceased was still alive, but the witness maintained that it is only the doctor that will know when a patient dies.
She confirmed that chest compression took place in the ICU.
Prosecuting counsel requested for an adjournment. Magistrate Marke Ngegba adjourned the matter to the 13th December 2022 whiles the accused remains in custody.