By Abass Jalloh
Abubakar Sulaiman Kamara, Dora Samuella Kamara, Benjamin Mohamed Lamin Kamara, and Imatu Sulaiman Kamara have all been remanded for allegedly murdering Amidu Kargbo, the son of Haja Kamara, a trader.
The accused persons made their second appearance before Magistrate Mark Ngegba of Pademba Road Court No. 1 in Freetown to answer to charges of conspiracy and murder contrary to the laws of Sierra Leone.
The particulars of offences state that on Tuesday 5th July 2022, at 4 Mammah Lane in Magbema Chiefdom in Kambia district, they conspired together with other unknown persons to murder Amidu.
In his testimony on Wednesday 24th August 2022, led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) and lawyer, Christiana Davies Cole, the complainant, Mustapha Jalloh, said he is a Mason and recognized all the accused persons and the victim as his neighbors.
He recalled on the aforementioned date in the morning hours when his father gave him one hundred and fifty Leones (NLe 150) to buy a second-hand phone.
The witness said on his way to purchase the phone he met the deceased who showed him one Galaxy phone for sale.
"I took the phone from him and switched it on, and I saw the picture of the fourth accused (Imatu Sulaiman Kamara) on the screen. And I returned the phone to him (Amidu) and rushed to the accused person's house where I heard that her phone was missing," Mustapha recounted, adding that he told him that he had seen the phone with the boy.
The witness said while heading to the house of the victim, they met him along the way and asked him for the said phone but that he denied having it.
According to the witness, the third accused then put his hand inside the Amidu’s pocket and removed the phone.
He said the first accused then called for a rope which they used to tie up Amidu and started beating him with a stick whilst others hit him with their hands and rubbed pepper on his private parts.
He said they untied him and then ran away. He said while at home he was informed that the boy had died and he later made a statement to the police.
During cross-examination by defense lawyer, Hindolo Gevao, the witness confirmed that he was the one who saw the phone with the deceased and later informed the third accused person about the said phone.
The witness also agreed with the lawyer that the phone that was removed from the deceased's pocket by the third accused was the fourth accused's phone.
The witness said it was only the accused persons who beat the boy and that there is video evidence to the effect.
He also disclosed to the court that the actual plan of the accused persons was to only beat him and let him go.
Lawyer Gevao also put it to the witness that he could not tell what happened to the victim after he ran away until his demise, to which he agreed in response.
The matter continues on the 29th of August 2022.
Copyright © 2022 Politico Online (26/08/22)
