Police Testifies Against Police In Murder Trial

By Fatmata Mohamed Bangura

Thirty-five years old OSD Officer Santigie Kamara made another appearance before Magistrate Mustapha Braima Jah of Pademba Road Court No.1 in Freetown on a count charge of Murder contrary to Section 1 of the Offence Against the Person Act 1861 as repealed and replaced by Section 1 (a) to the schedule of the Abolition of the Death Penalty Act 2021 Act No.6 of 2022.
According to the particulars of offence on the 19th January 2025 at 555 Lorry Park Waterloo in the Western Rural Area in Freetown murdered Francis Amara Kanneh.
When the charge was read and explained to the accused person no plea taken.
Sergeant 9939 Mohamed Lahai lead Prosecution witness number five Inspector Foday Bobor attached to the Homicide Unit at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters Pademba Road in Freetown.
He testified that he recognised the accused person and the complainant in the matter and recalled that on the 30th January 2025 whilst on duty at the said office, he received a transfer case and inquiry file of alleged murder containing voluntary caution statement of the accused person dated 20th January 2025 together with a request of postmortem examination on the deceased Francis Amara Kanneh, the medical certificate cause of death the deceased.
That since then they have been in the custody of the police which were produced and tendered in court to form part of the court records.
The witness said he also received four life rounds cartridges, two empty cartridge shells one fired bullet, one empty magazine one AK47 Rifle with serial number SL/SLP 14/56214164967 and two rubber chairs with blood stains as exhibits.
The witness said he forwarded the exhibits to the ballistic office for examination service for the two rubber chairs together with a request dated 30th January 2024 and that the said request has been in the custody of the police which he produced and tendered in court to form part of the court records.
He furthered that on 17th February 2025 he received a report from the ballistic office in respect of the request he sent and that the said report has been in the custody of the police which he produced and tendered in court to form part of the court records.
That on 3rd February 2025, himself together with Inspector Paul Amara Makieu obtained further voluntary caution statement from the accused person in Krio which was recorded in English and that at the conclusion of the statement it was read over and explained to the accused person which he admitted it to be true and correct by appending his right hand thumbprint witness by the said investigator. That he signed as the recorder whilst Inspector Paul Amara Makieu signed as the witness, and the voluntary caution statement was produced and tendered in court to form part of the court records.
That on 15th February 2025 Inspector Paul Amara Makieu and himself obtained further additional caution statement from the accused person using the same procedure as in the voluntary caution statement the additional statement which the accused person refused to respond to them, adding that he made a certificate to state that the accused refused to respond to the further additional caution statement and that Inspector Makieu signed as the witness and he signed as the recorder the certificate was produced and tendered in court to form part of the court records at this juncture the prosecutor sought for a short adjournment date to get proper conference with his witness.
Magistrate Mustapha Braima Jah refused bail and sent the accused person to the Male Correctional facility in Freetown and the matter was adjourned to 3rd June 2025 for ruling.