By Mohamed Foday Conteh
Two witnesses have testified at the high court in Freetown over a robbery matter that occurred in Waterloo involving an accused Alhaji Yusuf Fofanah.
Police Constable 14152, Amadu Bah, attached to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) at Waterloo Divisional Headquarters said he recognised the accused in the dock as the same man that was taken to the Police by the complainant, Salaimatu Shekinatu Jaow and her elder brother on the 8th of August 2020. He said that he was on duty together with a colleague PC 2122 on that very day. He added that the matter was assigned to him for investigation and to which he advised the complainant to seek medical attention at the Rokupa Government Hospital, Wellington, in Freetown. The medical report was tendered in court as exhibit A.
Bah said while the accused was in their custody, they took voluntary statements from him to which he denied the allegation made by the complainant, Sallaimatu. The voluntary statement was tendered in court as exhibit B1-7.
During cross-examination, by Counsel for the accused, Cyril Taylor-Young, Bah denied that the accused was arrested with wet clothes. He said that the accused, Fofanah, was arrested only with trousers and no shirt. He also confirmed that it was not the police that arrested Fofanah but rather Sallaimatu and her elder brother. He explained that the complainant and her elder brother proceeded to the said crime scene where the accused was actually trying to hide when Salaimatu identified him to her elder brother as the one that pointed the knife at her.
The complainant Jaow, during examination by State Counsel, Musa Pious Sesay Jr. said that she is a student of Rural Academy and was returning home from class at around 10 pm along Main Motor Road, Waterloo when the accused and 5 other men attacked her. She went on to claim that it was the accused that pointed a knife at her and jerked off her bag.
The complainant said that she was left frightened by the incident and as she headed home she met her elder brother around Tombo Junction. She added that the elder brother suggested that they visit the alleged crime scene after she had told him that she could recognise the said robbers. At the said crime scene, she told the court they met the said robbers who fled by scaling a wall except for Fofanah who was caught naked.
The matter was adjourned to the 30th May 2021 by Justice Momoh Jah-Stevens pending testimony from the elder brother of the complainant.
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