By Musa Paul Feika
Police prosecution witness, Salifu Fofanah on Monday 27th July, 2020 testified before Magistrate Alhaji Sulaiman Koroma of Ross Road Court No. 1 in east end Freetown in the murder trial involving two accused, Vandi Senesis and Ibrahim Kamara.
The accused were charged with the offence of murder contrary to the laws of Sierra Leone.
The witness in his testimony told the court that he recognised the accused and he would recall Thursday 20th February, 2020.
According to the prosecution witness, on that Thursday night he was at home at around 23:30p.m. or thereabout when one of his neighbours, Mohamed Bangura knocked on his door. He said after he had opened the door, the neighbour informed him that someone had stabbed his son, Abubakarr Fofanah, who is the deceased, in respect of the matter.
The prosecution witness furthered that Mohamed Bangura also told him that the onlookers at the crime scene had taken him to the Kissy Police Division, adding that after a few minutes, one Lamin Jones went to his residence on Jones Street, Kissy and informed him that his son had been rushed to the Connaught Teaching Hospital and that they needed Le150, 000. 00 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Leones) for blood donation since his condition was very critical. The witness said he gave Lamin Jones the money he demanded for the blood.
Mr. Fofanah furthered that he later received a telephone call from the Connaught Teaching Hospital and he immediately went to the hospital, adding that upon his arrival he saw his son’s body well drenched with blood after incurring several stab wounds all over his body.
The witness said himself and three of his neighbours went to the Kissy Police Division and made a report that the complainant who was brought to the division had passed away at the Connaught Teaching Hospital.
He said an autopsy was conducted by the Government Consultant Pathologist, Dr. Simeon Owizz Koroma and the certificate of the cause of death was handed over to him by the police with the remains of the deceased for burial.
The witness said on the following day, he made a statement at the Kissy Police Division in respect of the matter, adding that after ten day, he received a telephone call from one of the investigating officers at the Kissy Police Division informing him that he has apprehended the first accused, Vandi Senesis.
The police indictment stated that the accused Vandi Senesis and Ibrahim Kamara on Thursday 20th February, this year, at Jones Street, Kissy in Freetown murdered Abubakarr Fofanah.
Though the accused were represented by Randy S. Bangura, a human rights lawyer from the Sierra Leone Legal Aid Board (LAB), the accused were denied bail and remanded at the Pademba Road Male Correctional Centre in Freetown.
The matter was adjourned to 3rd August, 2020.