By Saio Marrah
The second prosecution witness, Mustapha Conteh, in the ongoing manslaughter trial involving the then Managing Director of Skye Bank in Sierra Leone, Ikubolaje Nicol over the alleged killing of his junior staff, Ms. Sinnah Kai Kargbo, has testified that he saw the deceased in the bathroom, trembling and biting her tongue.
The witness Conteh who testified before the new trial judge, Justice Momoh-Jah Stevens on Friday 26th April 2024, said he was attached to the residence of the accused, Nicol at Leicester as a police armed guard.
He recalled having resumed duty on Saturday 15th October 2024, at about 12:00 o’clock midnight of 16th October 2022, he saw the accused going out with his vehicle and returned alone within the same hour.
At about 01:00 o’clock, he went out again with the vehicle, returned about 03:00 o’clock, packed his car and went upstairs.
About 06:00 o’clock in the morning, he saw the accused outside his veranda and called on him (witness) and the private security, Ibrahim in a distressed manner that they should help him as his girlfriend had fallen sick.
The witness said when they entered the house, they first saw a dark complexion woman in the bedroom, standing and that they passed her and went to the bathroom, where they met the deceased, a fair in complexion lady trembling and biting her tongue.
The witness told the court that both women were naked, noting that the accused was in the living room. He said they took the deceased to the bedroom and placed her on the carpet.
According to him, the caretaker, who he described as Salifu, who later joined them placed a spoon in the deceased’s mouth. Within that process, the accused instructed Salifu to find a dress for the deceased.
The witness further told the court that Salifu brought a male T-shirt and trousers, and dressed her up. After which, they took the deceased outside, placed her in a vehicle that the accused drove to Shuman Hospital adding that they (witness and Ibrahim, private security) went with him.
He said when they arrived at the hospital, the accused went inside the hospital and came out with some nurses and that one of the nurses brought out something like a clip, which she clipped on the index finger of the deceased and that it beeped.
After that process, the nurse instructed two men to place the deceased on a wheel chair and took her inside the hospital.
The witness said he then left the scene adding that he did not resume work on the very Sunday until the next day, Monday when he learnt that the deceased passed away and that the accused had been arrested.
Led in By Lawyer Aruna Jalloh, the witness said after the said incident, he was removed from the residence of the accused.
Responding to a question from Lawyer Jalloh, he said he did not know the whereabouts of the other lady, who was in the room, as they were focused on saving the life of the deceased.
He added that since that incident, he did not see the said lady. The witness also told the court that all the time he had been working at the residence of the accused, he had not seen the deceased before at the said house.
Lead defence Lawyer, Rowland Wright, did not cross examine the witness saying that he had no question for the witness. The case resumes 30th April 2024.
It could be recalled that when this case was before Justice Adrian Fisher, the indictment was conspiracy to commit murder, murder and perverting the course of justice.
After the Supreme Court ruled for the case to be tried by judge and jurors, the state dropped the murder offence and replaced it with manslaughter. This also saw the jurors retiring from the case.
Copyright © 2024 Politico (29/04/24)
