By Musa Paul Feika
Festus Mustapha Sesay has testified before Magistrate Alhaji Suliaman Koroma of Ross Road Magistrate Court No.1, in the ongoing murder trial involving two accused, Momoh Tokaigo and Yatta Tokaigo, who are alleged to have stabbed his younger brother, Alimamy Siaka Sesay, to death.
The alleged incident took place on the 1st May, 2020 at No. 10 Glandwane Street, Fourbay in Freetown.
The police prosecution witness, Festus Mustapha Sesay, in his testimony, said he recognized the accused, as well as the deceased, as his younger brother and could recall Friday 1st May this year.
According to him, on the day in question, he was at home sleeping at around 08: 30am when he received a telephone call from one of his friends who gave him information that the 1st accused, Momoh Tokaigo, had allegedly stabbed his brother.
Mr. Sesay said, upon receiving the information, he instructed his friend to take the deceased to the Rokupa Government Hospital, Wellington in Freetown.
The witness further stated that, after few seconds, he left his home for Rokupa Government Hospital, adding that, upon his arrival, he pleaded with the doctor for him to see the deceased who was lying in a pool of blood. He added, “I took photographs of him.”
The witness added that he had developed those photos into pictures and they were produced and tendered in court to form part of the court`s records.
He said he immediately reported the matter at the Kissy Police Division in Freetown, adding that himself and a team of detective police officers, from the Kissy Police Division, visited the alleged crime scene at No.10 Glandwane Street, Fourbay in Freetown. He said photographs were taken by the Scene of Crime Officer (SOCO).
Mr. Sesay further testified that, later on, himself and the police officers conveyed the remains of the deceased at the Connaught Hospital mortuary in Freetown, where an autopsy was conducted by the only government pathologist, Dr. Seimon Owizz Koroma. He said a certificate of the cause of death was handed over to him and tendered in court, marked as exhibit Z.
The witness detailed the court that the corpse was given to them for a befitting burial. He said he also made a statement at the Kissy Police Division.
The lead defense counsel, S.M. Koteh, before he conducted his cross examination, applied for the recall of PW2 on the following grounds: that during the last hearing, he was not present in court. He further told the Bench that the prosecution team took upon itself and adjourned the matter for two weeks, which he considered as a way of punishing his clients.
He asked the Bench to take a judicial notice, and applied that the testimony of PW 2, on the last hearing, be expunged.
In his response, the presiding magistrate told the defense counsel that his application was premature.
The police charge sheet adduces that the accused, on 1st May 2020 at No. 10 Glandwane Street in Fourabay, in Freetown, murdered one Alimamy Siaka Sesay.
The accused were denied bail and remanded. The matter was adjourned to 21st August, 2020.