By: Audrey Raymonda John
On Friday, 9th November 2024, in a high-profile murder trial of Sia Fatu Kamara by her boyfriend Abdul Kpaka in the High Court of Sierra Leone before Justice Momoh Jah Stevens, the prosecution brought its eight witnesses to testify after an application was made.
Yusif Isaac Sesay, the Prosecution Counsel, made an application to the judge for an order to be granted; as it was successful, he called Detective Sergeant 19832 Isaa Eddision as an additional witness Pursuant to Section 188 of the Criminal Procedures Act.
The Prosecution led its witness, Detective Police Sergeant 19832 Issa Edison, attached to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Adonkia Police Station. He took an oath on the Holy Quran at the commencement of his testimony and, in his submission, explained what transpired at Adonkai while on duty.
According to him, he affirmed that he recognized the accused person in the dock and that on Tuesday, August 13, 2024, at around 21:00, the Local Unit Commander (LUC) from Godrerich Division called him to his office. “Immediately I entered the office, I met the accused person Abdul Kpaka and other people in the office of the LUC,” he said.
He further said the LUC assigned a case of Murder to him for investigation and handed over to him the accused person to make a statement in relation to the matter, and from that point, he then recalled Patrick Sylvester Kamara had made a report, so he took the accused person to the CID department at Adonkia, for him to tender statement but refuse to make statement due to his lawyers were in absentia, and said he could only make statement when his lawyers are present.
The Investigator, Issa Edison, informed the court that in order to observe his rights, he then postponed the interview to another date on Wednesday, 14 August 2024; on the following day, while on duty at CID Adonkia at 11:00 am, his lawyers arrived for their client at 11:30, Detective Police Sergeant 9462 Bellia G.J obtained contemporaneous interview from the accused person, in the presence of all his lawyers, which includes: Alfred Kamanda Esquire, Abdul Senesie Esquire and Chrispin N Kamara Esquire.
He narrated that Detective Sergeant 9462 Belia G.J cautioned and questioned the accused person in Krio, and he made responses in Krio while he recorded in English. During the time of recording, he received an instruction that the matter should be transferred to the Regional Headquarters Freetown West Lumley Police Station at about 13:55 hours.
He then finished the responses of the accused person, Abdul Kpaka. He handed over two statements with one original case file and the accused person to Investigator Andrew N Amara for further questioning, and the voluntary question statement was tendered to the court to form part of the exhibits.
The Defence Counsel, E.T. Komora, cross-examined the witness about his experience and time spent investigating matters. He responded that 19-20 years.
Meanwhile, the judge adjourned the trial to the 16th of November 2024 for further hearing.
