By Musa Paul Feika
Michael Siaka Bangura, a social worker who also doubles as the relative of the deceased Baimba Samura has testified in the on-going matter involving Abdul Mohamed Marrah and Jimmy Bangura charged with the offences of manslaughter.
The accused persons are standing trial at the Ross Road Magistrate Court No. 1 presided over by Magistrate Alhaji Suliaman Koroma.
The incident according to reports took place on the 23rd November 2019 in Waterloo Western area rural.
The witness further noted that he recognized both the deceased Baimba Samura who according to him is his uncle and could also recall the 23rd November,2019.
He continued that on the day in question he had discussions with the deceased before he left for work and was later intimated by his younger brother that the deceased has been admitted at the Abdul Health Clinic Centre located off Liver pool Street, in Waterloo.
The witness further recounted that on the 17th November 2019, the first accused Abdul Mohamed Marrah performed a hernia operation on the deceased.
On the 18th November, 2019, he continued he visited the deceased for the second time to observe his medical status.
The witness continued his testimony by indicating that upon his arrival at the clinic, the deceased Baimba Samura, complained to him that since he was admitted at the clinic, the 1st accused person Abdul Mohamed Marrah, had restricted him from consuming food.
He further told the court he became annoyed and immediately took up the allegation with the accused resulting into an argument between him and the first accused.The accused he continued had assured him that nothing would happen to the deceased.
On the 19th November 2019, the witness added that he revisited the clinic to observe the deceased health status but he had still complained that he was still suffering from serious pain as a result of the first operation performed by the 1st accused person.
The first accused the witness told the court had disclosed that he still has to perform another operation on the accused and then demanded the sum of three hundred and fifty thousand for (Le 3, 50,000) blood and one million Leones (Le 1,000,000) .
The witness further testified that on the 21st November 2019, the 2nd accused Jimmy Bangura performed the second hernia operation on the deceased which he said he lasted for eight (8) hours.
The witness told the court that after the second operation, he asked both accused persons to transfer them to another hospital since the medical conditions of the deceased was becoming worse but he said they refused.
The witness rounded up his testimony that on the 23rd November 2019, at around 1:30am, Baimba Samura died at the said clinic and they reported the matter to Waterloo Police Station adding that a team of police officers from Waterloo Police Station visited the scene of crime and photographs were taken and the corpse was conveyed to Connaught Hospital in Freetown, where a postmortem was conducted by Government pathologist Dr. Simeon Owizz Koroma and the corpse was handed over to them for burial.
The police charge sheet indicated that Abdul Mohamed Marrah and Jimmy Bangura on the 23rd November 2019, off Liverpool Street in Waterloo, in the Rural District of the Republic of Sierra Leone slaughtered Baimba Samura.
Bail was refused and both accused persons were remanded and the matter was adjourned to 4th March 2020.