By: Audrey Raymonda John
On 7 November 2024, thirty-four-year-old Mousa Sewa, a businessman, was arraigned before Magistrate Santigie Bangura of Pademba Road Court No.2 on a charge of Murder Contrary to section 1 of the Offences Against the Person Act of 1861, as repealed and replaced by Section 1 (a) to the schedule of the Abolition of the Death Penalty Act 2022, Act No 6 of 2022.
According to the particulars of offense you, on Sunday, the 18th of August 2024, at Mankneh Qcell pole, Makeni City Bomboli in the northern province of the Republic of Sierra Leone, murdered Massah Massaquoi.
No plea was taken When the charge was read and explained to the accused.
Prosecution witness number two, Inspector Rugiatu Sesay, attached to the Homicide unit at the Criminal Investigation Department Cid headquarters Pademba Road Freetown
On the 23rd August 2023, while on duty when a murder case was reported.
The matter was allocated to her for investigation. She obtained statements from the complainant and witnesses.
On the 24th of August 2024, she, together with Inspector B.Foday and the complainant, went to the 34 Military Hospital, where the complainant identified the corpse and it was placed for postmortem examination.
On the 30th of October, she, together with the scene of crime officer Dpc 13274 Hassan Bangura, was present when an autopsy was conducted on the remains of the deceased by the chief medical officer, Dr Owizz Koroma.
At the end of the process, the cause of death certificate was handed over to the complainant, and a photocopy was handed over to the police. The cause of death certificate was produced and tendered in court to form part of the court records marked as exhibit A.
On September 7, 2024, a team of police officers headed by Superintendent of Police Arnold F Bunda and herself visited the crime scene at Qcell Pole at New Hope Hospital Makeni. They then returned to Freetown for further investigation.
On the 6th of September 2024, a contemporary interview was conducted by the accused person in Krio. After the statement, it was read over and explained to the accused person in Krio, which he admitted to be true and correct by afflicting his right-hand thumbprint witness by Sergeant 8862 Konneh S.M. She signed as the recorder the caution statement from the accused person produced and tendered in court to form part of the court records marked as exhibit B1-11.
On the 12th of September 2024, she obtained further interviews from the accused person in the Krio language, which was recorded in English after the statement. It was read over and explained to the accused person, which he admitted to be true and correct by afflicting his right-hand thumbprint witness Inspector B. Foday sign as the witness. She signed as the recorder the statement was produced and tendered in court to form part of the court records marked as exhibit C1-16.
On the 8th and 9th of October 2024, the accused person was charged with the offense he is standing trial on. The charge statement was produced and tendered in court to form part of the court records marked as exhibit D1-4.
The defense counsel, A.P Juah Esq, differs cross-examined.
Meanwhile, Magistrate Bangura refused bail and sent the accused person to the male correctional facility in Freetown. The matter was adjourned to 11 November 2024.
