By: Audrey Raymonda John
The third witness Detective Superintendent Patricia Koroma, attached to the Criminal Investigation Department Aberdeen Police Station was led in evidence by State Counsel Umuh Sumaray.
Detective Koroma said she recognized the accused person.
The witness said she recall on the 11th day of March 2023 at around 3: 30 pm, she was on duty at the Aberdeen Division and saw the accused coming towards the station wearing black trousers with no shirt or vest on him. Hearing the shout of some business people, one of them was shouting “Jesus” and also speaking some Islamic quotation, which drew her attention and she ask the accused what has happened.
PW3 said the accused identified himself as Mohamed Haroun Conteh, but he is normally called Haroun, and he lived at Imatt.
The accused said every Saturday he usually visits the home of the deceased for tutorial classes.
He was at the residence of the deceased, Mr Johnson, on the said date when the deceased ordered food, awaiting the arrival of the food, they heard a knock on the door and Mr Johnson, went to open the door, according to the accused said the witness.
The accused claimed that he noticed about 14 people, in which there was an OSD officer with a gun and a knife, and also another with the resemblance of a Fullah that reside around that particular area.
Due to his observation, the accused said he saw them chatting with his tutor when suddenly the OSD Officer started stabbing Mr Johnson all over his face.
The accused continued that the deceased upon struggling with his attackers shouted “Haroun run for your life, and then he ran away”.
PW3 as the Crime Officer said she took the accused to the Local Unit Commander, Mr Emmanuel Kubbie, at his office where the accused gave the same explanation.
The crime Officer continued that he noticed the accused had a black sock tied around his fingers, and asked him to remove it, upon which he saw a deep cut with blood oozing out of it. The accused said it was one of the attackers that cut him, while he was trying to prevent himself from being stabbed.
The Officer concluded that he then called Officer Marrah who worked at the Adelaide Street Police Station to confirm the address at Victoria Street. Later Mr Marrah called and ask that the boy should be escorted to the said address.
Madam Patricia said she later wrote a report on the station’s diary.
She told defence lawyer M.S Konteh during cross-examination that she is the crime officer.
She said she remembered everything the accused told her, and said she submitted the report a few days after the incident.
That day the OPS Officer called the mother of the accused in my presence.
She also said that the accused was wearing black long trousers and that no medical form was issued to the accused because the case was supposed to be dealt with at the Adelaide police station, and with the circumstance the accused was needed at the scene of the crime.
She concluded that she has been a Police Officer for 24yrs.
The matter was adjourned to Thursday 8th June 2023.