By Francis H. Murray
Preliminary investigations into a fourteen-count charge, including conspiracy to murder, murder, and malicious damage, resulting from the violent unrest in Lunsar Town, Marampa Chiefdom, Portloko District, have continued before Magistrate Hannah Bonnie in Freetown.
Under cross-examination by Lawyer Lansana Dumbuya on behalf of the twenty three accused persons, the fourth prosecution witness, Alie Conteh said he was among those who escaped with Chief Bai Koblo Queen on the day of the attack.
He said in order to facilitate their escape form their attackers, they placed a ladder on the fence which they used to jump over to a neighboring compound.
He told the court that after they had jumped, he didn’t notice anything wrong with P. C Queen because they were in a hurry to escape for their lives.
When asked whether the wife of Chief Queen was among those who jumped over the fence, the witness denied, adding that she was in the house during the attack. The witness added that the deceased, Alie Kabia, nephew to the paramount chief was in the house at the time of the attack but he couldn’t tell his exact location then.
Conteh went on to note that statement was obtained from him on the 6th June 2020, adding that he and Chief Queen used to discuss about the attack prior to his testimony in court.
He added that he had on different occasions identified some of the accused persons in an identification parade.
When challenged that some of the things he had told the police were different from his testimony in chief, the witness responded by saying that some information he presented to the police were not recorded in his statement and that he only got to know that in court.
Cross-examined by the lawyer of the seven accused persons, the witness said he was not in any hiding after the incident, but was confused and traumatized, which was why he only went later to make statement to the police. He also admitted to have attended school but stopped at class six and confirmed that he had arrested and taken someone to the station in respect of the matter.
He also told the court that he had mentioned the names of some key witnesses which the police didn’t include in his statement.
Lawyer Dumbuya applied for the witness to be subjected to perjury on the grounds that he has been consistently lying to the court, but same was rejected by Magistrate Bonnie.
The matter was adjourned to the 12th October, 2020.
The prosecution alleges that Mohamed Kanu and 30 others, on diverse dates between the 1st April and the 30th April this year at Lunsar Town in Port Loko District, in the Northern Region of Sierra Leone, conspired together with other persons unknown to murder, commit grievous bodily harm, murdered one Alie Kabia, maliciously damaged properties worth over Le11 billion belonging to Paramount Chief Koblo Queen II, among others.
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