By: Audrey Raymonda John
Twenty-one-year-old student Abu Bakarr Kallay has been committed to the High Court by Magistrate Mustapha Brima Jah of Pademba Road Court No. 1 to stand trial on a charge of murder, contrary to Section 1 of the Offences Against the Person Act of 1861, as repealed and replaced by Section 1(a) of the Schedule to the Abolition of the Death Penalty Act, 2021 (Act No. 6 of 2022).
According to the particulars of the offence, the accused allegedly murdered Mohamed Bangura on Monday, 6 April 2026, at Moyiba, Kissy, in the Western Area of Freetown.
When the charge was read and explained to the accused, no plea was taken, as the matter was before the court for committal proceedings.
Leading evidence for the prosecution, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Tommy B. Zizer called Detective Police Constable (DPC) 18670 Mohamed Lamin Bangura, attached to the Regional Police Division at Ross Road Police Station, as the first prosecution witness.
In his testimony, DPC Bangura stated that he recognized both the accused and the deceased in connection with the matter. He recalled that on 8 April 2026, while on duty at Ross Road Police Station, he received a case and inquiry file transferred from the Moyiba Police Post. The file contained a Police Medical Request Form, a Ministry of Health Referral Form, and the accused.
The witness further testified that on 9 April 2026, in the presence of Sergeant 8602 A.K. Kaifala, he obtained a voluntary caution statement from the accused in the Krio language, which was recorded in English. At the conclusion of the interview, the statement was read over and explained to the accused, who admitted its contents to be true and affixed his right thumbprint. The statement was witnessed by Sergeant Kaifala and signed by the witness as the recorder. The statement was produced and tendered in evidence as part of the court record.
DPC Bangura also informed the court that on 8 April 2026, he wrote a request for a post-mortem examination on the remains of the deceased. The request letter was produced and tendered in court. He further testified that on the same date, he, together with Scenes of Crime Officer (SOCO) Inspector M.S. Kamara, witnessed the post-mortem examination conducted by Dr. Simeon Owiz. Following the examination, Dr. Owiz issued a Cause of Death Certificate, which was also produced and tendered as evidence.
The witness stated that on 27 April 2026, he prepared and forwarded a report on the offence of murder to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for legal advice. On 5 May 2026, he received advice from the DPP directing that the accused be charged with murder. Both the report and the legal advice were produced and tendered in court.
He further testified that on 11 May 2026, together with Sergeant Kaifala, he formally charged the accused with murder, using the same procedure adopted during the taking of the voluntary caution statement. The charge statement was witnessed by Sergeant Kaifala and signed by the witness as recorder. The document was produced and tendered in evidence.
At the conclusion of his testimony, the witness was cross-examined by defence counsel N. Amara Esq.
Following the close of the prosecution’s case, CSP Tommy B. Zizer informed the court that the prosecution had concluded its evidence.
In delivering his ruling, Magistrate Jah stated that, having carefully examined the evidence presented before the court, he was satisfied that the prosecution had adduced sufficient evidence to establish a prima facie case against the accused.