By Musa Paul Feika
Detective Sergeant 11640 John Thalokta Conteh, who is Scene of Crime Officer (SOCO) attached to the Adonkia Police Station at Goderich, yesterday testified in the matter involving ten accused charged with the offences of conspiracy to murder and murder, which are contrary to law.
The accused were Alpha Yayah Kanu, Abdulai Barrie, Foday Sannoh, Gbessay Kamara, John Esmon Koroma and five others.
The Detective Sergeant as SOCO highlighted some of his duties and responsibilities, which include visiting crime scenes and taking photographs, and tendering documents in court during proceedings.
He furthered that he recognized the accused and that he could recall the 5th April, 2020. He said when he was on duty at the Adonkia Police Station at Goderich, he was ordered by Detective Inspector Margai and Detective Sergeant 3002 Gbangai to accompany them to No. 2 River Village where the alleged crime took place.
The SOCO added that three of them left for the scene of crime and upon their arrival, one of the village residents took them where the deceased, alias Mende Boy, was purportedly buried.
The witness furthered that one Inspector Feika, the head of the police team, instructed them to dig the place and find out whether the remains of the deceased was there, adding that during the course of the search, they discovered the remains of the deceased. He also noted that he took photographs of the deceased with his Cannon digital camera.
The witness also informed the court that he advanced towards the residence of the deceased at Tombo Lane, Bawbaw Village on the outskirts of Freetown, adding that the deceased’s residence was destroyed.
The witness told the court that he also took photographs of the residence and developed the photographs into pictures, which he said have all been tendered in court.
He further informed the court that on 7th April, 2020, a team headed by the Consultant Pathologist, Dr. Simeon Owizz Koroma, went to the scene of crime, where he also took photographs of the deceased.
The witness concluded that the remains of the deceased were convoyed to the Connaught Hospital mortuary, adding that on 7th April, 2020, an autopsy was conducted by the Consultant Pathologist, which photographs he took and tendered them in court as exhibits.
The accused are standing trial on two counts charge of conspiracy to murder and murder, which are all contrary to law.
The indictment states that Alpha Yayah Kanu and nine others, on the 5th April, 2020 at Bawbaw Village in the Freetown Judicial District, murdered Ibrahim Koroma, aka Mende Boy.
The accused were denied bail and remanded. The matter was adjourned to 8th June, 2020.