By Musa Paul Feika
Detective Sergeant 12040, Gibrilla Kargbo, attached to the Criminal Investigation Department at the Kissy Police Division, in Freetown, has testified before Magistrate Alhaji Suliaman Koroma, of the Ross Road Magistrate Court No. 1, in the ongoing murder matter involving two accused, namely Vandi Senesis and Ibrahim Kamara, who are charged with the offence of murder, an offence which is contrary to law.
In his evidence before the court, Mr. Kargbo said he recognized the deceased as well as the accused, and could recall Thursday 20th February 2020. He detailed that, while on duty at the Criminal Investigation Department in the aforementioned division, Abu-Bakr Fofanah, now deceased, reported a case of wounding with intent at the Criminal Investigation Department at the Kissy Police Division.
The witness added that he issued a police medical request form to the complainant, for treatment at the Connaught Hospital in Freetown. He noted that, on the following day, the deceased`s friend, Lamin Jonson, returned the medical paper unendorsed and that he gave him information that Abu-Bakr Fofanah had passed away at the Connaught Hospital in Freetown.
The unendorsed medical paper was produced and tendered in court, marked as Exhibit A.
On the 21st February, 2020, the witness said himself and a team of detective police, officers from the Kissy Police Division, headed by Detective Inspector Kamara, visited the alleged crime scene at Whenzle Street, Kissy in Freetown. He added that, upon their arrival, photographs were taken by the Scene of Crime Officer, whose name was not mentioned by the witness.
Mr. Kargbo further testified that, on the 24th February, 2020, he apprehended the accused and took him to the Kissy Police Division in Freetown, where he obtained a voluntary caution statement from him, noting that, at the end of the statement, the accused admitted to it to be true and correct by affixing his right hand thumbprint, which was witnessed by Detective Police Constable 1496, Kamara M.S.S.  The voluntary caution statement of the accused was tendered to form part of the court`s records. He furthered that, on the same date, he obtained statements from the complainant and his witnesses.
The witness said, on the 25th February, 2020, he witnessed a postmortem examination which was conducted by the only government pathologist, Dr. Simeon Owiss Koroma, at the Connaught Hospital in Freetown. The witness told the court that a certificate of the cause of the death was handed over to him, which was also produced and tendered as exhibit.
Mr. Kargbo concluded his testimony, stating that, on the 13th July, 2020, he charged the accused with the offence of murder.
Randy S. Bangura, who is defending the accused, before his cross examination, asked for a short stand down, on the basis that he wanted to peruse the file. However his application was not granted by the presiding magistrate. During his cross examination, he put it to the witness that the 2nd accused was arrested when he went to the deceased`s family to sympathize with them. In reply, the witness answered yes.
He further put it to Mr. Kargbo that the 2nd accused, Ibrahim Kamara, was not arrested on the same day of the incident. Mr. Kargbo also replied in the affirmative.
Lawyer Bangura put it to the witness that 1st accused, Vandi Senesis, told him that he had fought with the deceased and that, during the fight, he stabbed the deceased. He replied in the affirmative.
Mr. Bangura posed another question to the witness that, the 2nd accused was found in an abandoned vehicle with one of his friends, Alpha Fullah, when they woke him up and told him that Abu-Bakr Fofanah, now deceased, had died in the Connaught Hospital. He said yes.
Lawyer Bangura asked the witness whether he investigated that bit. Mr. Kargbo responded in the negative.
According to the police charge sheet, Vandi Senesis and Ibrahim Kamara, on Thursday 20th February, 2020 at Whenzle Street Kissy in Freetown, murdered Abu-Bakr Fofanah. The accused were denied bail and sent on remand at the Male Correctional Centre, Pademba Road in Freetown. The matter will come up again on the 30th September, 2020.