Police Witness Testifies in a Murder Case

April 15, 2021

By: Francis F.M.Harding

Police Witness (PW) Detective, John Amara Macuray has testified before Magistrate Mark Ngegba on the 14^th April, 2021 at the Pademba Road Court in Freetown in an alleged murder case against Peter Koroma the accused person.  While testifying, Police Witness said that he recognized the accused person, Peter Koroma.

The witness said he is attached to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters in Freetown. The witness continued that on the 12thFebuary, 2021 the Criminal Investigation Department received a transferred case file from the Waterloo Police Station together with the accused person with an alleged murder case, containing ten witnesses’ statements and one contemporaneous report from the Waterloo Police Station.

He further testified that on the 22^nd February, 2021 he and a team of Police Officers from the Criminal Investigation Department with ASP Sandy and the accused person left the CID office to visit the scene of crime at Monkey Bush, Waterloo in Freetown. He said at the scene of crime Police Constable 17975 Pinpin went with them to narrate to us what happened at the scene. The witness said they later returned with the accused person to the Criminal Investigation Department Headquarters in Freetown.

The witness further testified that on the 5^th March, 2021 together with ASP Mohamed Kargbo, conducted a contemporaneous interview with the accused person. He said the accused person was cautioned and questioned by Inspector Ansumana. He said the accused person made his statement in Krio and recorded it in English; read and explained in Krio to the accused person.

Witness said he conducted additional voluntarily statement on the 5^th March, 2021 together with Detective Inspector Mohamed Kargbo. It was further revaled in court that an autopsy was conducted on the corpse by the Government Pathologist Dr.Owiss Koroma and thereafter a death certificate was issued to them. He said on the 29^th March, 2021 himself together with Inspector Mohamed Kargbo charged the accused person with the offense of murder.

According to Police case file, the accused person on the 10^th February, 2021 at Monkey Bush Waterloo in the Western Rural district murdered Mohamed Sesay. The accused person is charged with one count of murder contrary to the Laws of Sierra Leone.

ASP I.S Mansaray represented the State, as there was no legal representative for the accused person. Matter has been adjourned to the 21^st April, 2021.