By Janet Sesay
Detective Police Constable, Joseph Collins attached at the Major Crime Incident Unit at the Criminal Investigations Department Headquarters yesterday testified before Magistrate Hannah Bonnie of Pademba Road Court No.1 on alleged killing of Sheku Kargbo of Hamilton village by his Land-lord Mohammed Momoh Kanu.
Led in evidence by Inspector Gbassay Fofanah, the witness started his testimony by noting that he recognized the accused person in the dock and recalled Saturday 17th August 2019 while on duty at the police station, his department received a transfer file of murder containing ten statements and five documents from the Adonkia police station.
The file, according to his testimony, was handed over to him and Detective Inspector Williams for further investigations.
On 21st August 2019, he stated that himself and the Scene of Crime Officer, Detective Police Constable Talako Conteh attached at the Adonkia police station visited the scene of crime at Thompson drive Hamilton, the former residence of the deceased and the accused.
The scene of crime officer took photos at the crime scene and in the course of investigation the accused person was invited and detained, the witness told the court.
The witness also revealed that on 18th September, 2019, he charged the accused person with the offence of murder.
The charged statement was tendered in court as Exhibit D1-D2 to form part of the evidence by the witness.
During cross examination by C. Pujeh, the witness told the court that he was never the lead investigator in the matter.
He also noted that the matter was sent to the Director of Public Prosecution for legal advice before it was charged to court.
Defense counsel upon his cross examination asked the witness to tell the court the reason why the Director of Public Prosecution gave an order for the matter to be charged to court.
The witness replied that he wanted time to refresh his memory as to why the matter was charged to court to be able to respond, but the prosecutor objected, giving the statements of the Director of Public Prosecution to the witness and asked the court for a short stand down.
In that case, Magistrate Hannah Bonnie therefore adjourned the matter to 25th November, 2019.
It could be recalled that the accused is charged with one count of murder, contrary to law and court details state that the accused person on 3rd August, 2019 at Hamilton village in Freetown, murdered Sheku Kargbo.