By: Hafsatu Z Bangura
Abu Bakarr ibrahim, Gertrude Ibrahim and Kashope Ibrahim are standing trial for an alleged Murder before Justice Sulaiman Banh of the High Court no.2 Freetown.
According to the charge sheet the accused persons on count one are charged with the offence of Conspiracy to Murder Contrary to Section 4 of the Offences against the Persons Act (1861) and its particulars of offence states that the accused persons on the 1st March 2021 at Freetown in the Western Area of the Republic of Sierra Leone conspired together with other persons unknown to Murder George Alhassan Jalloh.
On count 2 it reads that the accused persons are charged with the offense of Murder and it’s particulars of offence states that the accused persons on the 1st March 2021 at Freetown in the Western Area of the Republic of Sierra Leone Murdered George Alhassan Jalloh.
Prosecution Witness Alieu Jalloh brother to the deceased testified that the accused is related to them. He said the accused is a cousin and that the accused together with his wife and son lived with the deceased.
He said the deceased who is his elder brother George Alhassan Jalloh lived at 3 third street with the accused and his family, that in the date in question himself and his brother named Alusine Jalloh who is the eldest of them went to his house and told him to accompany him to the house of George Alhassan Jalloh.
Immediately they left, he said and upon their arrival, the first accused opened the gate and told him and his brother that the deceased person had stabbed wounds all over his body.
The witness described the house as a two stories building to which a man named Alusine Sanj occupied the first floor and the deceased person and accused persons lived on the same floor.
Alusine Jalloh said they rushed in to the house and he saw blood on the carpet and the accused led them again to the room of the deceased where he said again he saw the bed sheet stained with blood and a pen knife but did not see the body of the deceased.
He went on that when he asked the accused person about his brother, the accused replied him that the deceased body had been rushed to the Connaught hospital.
Alieu Jalloh furthermore said he rushed immediately at the Eastend Police Station together with his brother and made a report about the incident.
He continued that truck of police men left the station to the said scene.
He concluded that upon the arrival of these police officers he was asked to make statement, him and the accused person were placed in a car and taken to the Connaught hospital to identify the body of the deceased to which the first accused was asked to do so and he was told to return home and the accused persons were arrested.
During cross examination with defense counsel Morrison Karimu inquired if the accused and deceased person were in good terms to which the witness answered that based upon his several visits made to the house he saw that the accused and deceased got along well and lived in peace.
Furthermore to his cross examination told the witness that he was not being consistent with his testimony, he said at the lower Magistrate court the witness never mentioned that the accused told him that the deceased had stabbed wounds.
J Cole Esq counsel for the 3rd accused persons who is a school going pupil of the Albert academy aged 17 years made an application for bail for the accused person. State Counsel opposed to the bail with no affidavit in opposition to it.
J Cole Esq stated that the accused is a school pupil, that since his incarceration till date had taken a serious toll on his education and any further stay behind bars would only exacerbate a bad and regrettable situation (ie lack in his education).
Justice Sulaiman Bah granted the bail application of the 3rd accused in the sum of 500 Thousand Leones with two sureties a sureties must be residing in Freetown or properties in like sum.
The Matter is adjourned to the 24th April 2021.