By Yusufu S. Bangura
Mohamed Williams, brother to Usman Jalloh now deceased, a motorbike rider, who was killed and his bike high-jacked, has last Friday testified in court about how they traced the accused, Ibrahim Kamara.
The witness recognised the deceased as his brother and also recognised the accused in respect of the matter.
He said on Sunday, 3rd September, 2023, he was on bed around 4:00 in the morning when the deceased called him and told him that the bike he gave him had involved in an accident.
He said on the following day, he went with some guys to Connaught Hospital to check on the deceased, but upon their arrival at the hospital, they met the deceased lying on the bed with wounds all over his body.
The witness said he requested for the phone number of the man who took the deceased to the hospital and the company where the motorbike was credited, stating that he later went to the company at Aberdeen Road and they informed him that the bike has been stolen and that they had instructed people to trace it along Freetown Masiaka high way.
The witness said the motor bike with registration number ABJ 179, was discovered at an unfinished building at Masiaka, with all it parts dislocated and the motor bike was taken to the police station.
Explaining further, the witness said they were still at the village when the accused and others surfaced at the scene and when they questioned him about the bike; he replied that he is a stranger.
The witness said the accused was later taken to Makiteh police station where he was questioned and during the process, he revealed that it was his friend who gave him the motorbike for safe keeping.
He added that the police at Makiteh escorted them to the Aberdeen Police Post and later to New England Ville police station where he reported the matter.
He went on to say that due to the condition of the deceased, Connaught Hospital referred them to Life Care hospital and later to Emergency hospital at Goderich were he subsequently died.
At the conclusion of his examination in chief, the witness was not cross examined.
Meanwhile, Magistrate Ngegba remanded the accused to the Male Correctional Centre at Pademba Road in Freetown and adjourned the matter to Wednesday 29th November 2023 for further hearing.
The accused Ibrahim Kamara is currently before Magistrate Ngegba of Pademba Road Court number one for preliminary hearings after police investigation for conspiracy to commit murder and murder contrary to Section 1 of the Offenses Against the Persons Act of 1861, as replaced and repealed by Section (1)(a) of the Abolition of the Death Penalty Act of 2021, Act No.6 of 2022.
The police alleged that the accused on Sunday 3rd September 2023 at Bass Street, Brook Fields in Freetown, the accused conspired with other persons unknown to murder Usman Jalloh.
The matter is prosecuted by Sergeant 9939 Momodu Lahai.
