By: Audrey Raymonda John
Forty-six-year-old twin brothers, Alhassan Fofanah and Alusine Fofanah, have been remanded in custody after appearing before Magistrate John Manso Fornah at the Pademba Road Magistrate Court No. 2 in Freetown.
The two accused are facing five counts of conspiracy to murder, murder, wounding with intent, wounding, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
According to the charge sheet, the murder charge is brought under Section 1 of the Offences Against the Person Act of 1861, as repealed and replaced by Section 1(a) of the Abolition of the Death Penalty Act of 2021, Act No. 6 of 2022.
The accused are also charged with wounding with intent, contrary to Section 18 of the Offences Against the Person Act of 1861; wounding, contrary to Section 20 of the same Act; and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, contrary to Section 47 of the Act.
The particulars of the first two counts alleged that on Saturday, July 4, 2026, at No. 69A, Back of PWD Quarters, Sumaila Town, Freetown, Alhassan and Alusine Fofanah, together with other persons unknown, conspired to murder and murdered Mumunie Bah.
The charge sheet further alleged that on the same date and at the same location, the accused wounded Alie Bangura with intent to cause him grievous bodily harm.
Counts four and five alleged that the accused maliciously wounded and assaulted Alie Bangura, thereby causing him actual bodily harm.
When the charges were read and explained to the accused, no plea was taken.
The prosecution’s first witness, Detective Police Constable (DPC) Ibrahim Kamara, attached to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at Central Police Station in Freetown, testified before the court.
DPC Kamara told the court that on July 4, 2026, while on duty at the CID Central Police Station, Detective Sergeant Musa J. assigned him an enquiry file transferred from New England Police Station for further investigation.
He said that before the matter was transferred, the complainant, Alie Bangura, had been issued a police medical request form at New England Police Station.
The witness testified that on the same day, he, Detective Inspector Sheku Lukulay and Detective Sergeant Lapia J. visited the crime scene at Sumaila Town, where photographs were taken.
According to DPC Kamara, on July 5, 2026, Alie Bangura visited the CID Central Police Station, where statements were obtained from him and his witnesses, including Michael Milton John, Abu Turay and Muvlai Bangura.
The statements were subsequently produced and tendered in evidence.
The witness further told the court that during the investigation, police received information that Mumunie Bah had died at the scene and that his body had been conveyed to the Connaught Hospital Mortuary in Freetown.
He said that later the same day, officers at New England Police Station informed them that both accused had reported themselves at the station.
DPC Kamara also testified that Muvlai Bangura presented three knives to the police as exhibits.
He said he and Detective Inspector Sheku Lukulay subsequently went to New England Police Station and escorted both accused to the CID Central Police Station for further investigation.
The three knives were later handed over to the appropriate police exhibit officer.
The witness testified that voluntary caution statements were obtained separately from both accused. He said they were cautioned and questioned in Krio, with their responses recorded in English.
According to him, the statements were read over and explained to the accused in Krio, after which both acknowledged them as true and correct and affixed their right thumbprints in the presence of Detective Sergeant Musa J., while he signed as the recorder.
The voluntary caution statements were subsequently tendered in evidence.
DPC Kamara further told the court that on July 6, 2026, Alie Bangura returned to the police station with an endorsed medical report, which was also tendered as an exhibit.
On July 7, police forwarded a request for a post-mortem examination to the Chief Medical Examiner.
The witness said that on July 15, 2026, he, Detective Sergeant Lapia J., Chief Medical Examiner Dr Owiss Simeon Koroma and his team conducted a post-mortem examination on the body of Mumunie Bah.
Photographs were taken during the examination, while the post-mortem report and cause-of-death certificate were subsequently issued to the police and tendered in court.
DPC Kamara also testified that on July 28, 2026, police requested a forensic examination of the three knives from the forensic officer at the Transnational Organised Crime Unit (TOCU) in Hastings.
On the same date, police sought an extension of the detention of both accused and forwarded the investigation file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for legal advice.
The witness said the police received legal advice from the DPP’s Office on August 10, 2026.
Following the advice, DPC Kamara, together with Detective Sergeant Musa J. and DPC Mor AB, separately charged the two accused on August 11, 2026, with conspiracy to murder, murder, wounding with intent, wounding, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
He said the accused were cautioned and questioned in Krio, with their responses recorded in English. The statements were subsequently read and explained to them in Krio, after which they admitted them to be true and correct and affixed their right thumbprints.
The charged statements were also tendered in evidence.
During cross-examination, DPC Kamara admitted that one of the accused sustained an injury during the alleged fight.
However, he told the court that although he photographed the injury, he did not see a cutlass at the scene.
The witness denied allegations that he advised either accused to admit the allegations to prevent them from suffering.
He further stated that both accused were informed about the post-mortem examination and denied that either of them had lodged a separate complaint with the police against any individual in connection with the incident.
Following the proceedings, Magistrate John Manso Fornah ordered that both accused be remanded in custody.
The matter was adjourned to September 9, 2026, for continuation of the hearing. A subpoena is also expected to be served on prosecution witness Muvlai Bangura.