By: Audrey Raymonda John
Thirty-four-year-old driver Mohamed Josiah appeared before Magistrate Mustapha Braima Jah at Pademba Road Magistrate Court No. 1 in Freetown on a charge of murder contrary to Section 1 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861, as repealed and replaced by Section 1(a) of the Abolition of the Death Penalty Act 2021, Act No. 6 of 2022.
According to the particulars of the offence, on Monday, April 28, 2025, at Dundas Street Car Wash in the Western Area, the accused allegedly murdered Mohamed Lamin Baryoh.
Amidu Conteh, Sergeant 9546 of the Scientific Support Unit at Central Police Station, testified as the crime scene investigator. He recalled that on May 7, 2025, he, along with relatives of the deceased and an investigator, visited Connaught Mortuary where the pathologist, Dr. Owiz Koroma, conducted an autopsy on the deceased. Sergeant Conteh took photographs of the remains using his Vivo mobile phone. The phone and the photos were produced and tendered as evidence, forming part of the court records (marked F1-17).
The witness was cross-examined by the accused.
Following the closure of the prosecution’s case, the file was withdrawn for ruling.
Magistrate Jah ruled that the prosecution had presented sufficient evidence to warrant committal of the case to the High Court. Consequently, the matter was committed to the High Court, and the accused was remanded to the Male Correctional Facility in Freetown.