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‘Errant’ Police Ordered to Appear in Court

HomeAYV News‘Errant’ Police Ordered to Appear in Court

‘Errant’ Police Ordered to Appear in Court

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The charge sheet indicated that Hannah Bockarie was deprived of her life way back on 13 August 2015 and was found dead at the Aberdeen Beach with sand stuffed into her mouth and vagina.

Led in evidence by State Prosecutor K. Conteh, the second prosecution witness Detective Police Sergeant 7681 Hassan Kargbo testified that he is attached at the Criminal Investigation Department branch at the Congo Cross Police Division in Freetown.

He informed the court that he recognized the first accused person in the dock, Mohamed Lamin Kamara alias Coke N. G. adding that he was on duty, when the first accused person was arrested and brought to the police station in respect of the matter under adjudication.

Detective Police Sergeant Hassan Kargbo further informed the well-attended court that on 13th August 2015, he was on duty at the Criminal Investigation Department branch at the Congo Cross Police Division, when a transferred case and enquiry file from the Aberdeen Police Post was allocated to him together with Detective Police Sergeant 5572 Kindo Papa Kamara for further investigation.

The witness went on to inform the court that contemporaneous statement was obtained from the first accused, Mohamed Lamin Kamara alias Coke N. G. by cautioning and questioning him in Krio.

He made it crystal clear that whilst the first accused person Mohamed Lamin Kamara was in police custody, he refused to make voluntary caution statement, but informed the investigating police officers that he would reserve his opinion for a competent court of law.

During cross-examination by counsel representing the first accused person, Mohamed Lamin Kamara alias Coke N. G., Ishmael Philip Mammie, Detective Police Sergeant responded that the accused person was initially arrested for the offence of Loitering with Intent, before the offences of Conspiracy and Murder was preferred against him and his co-accused person, Paul Con.

He further responded that throughout his evidence-in-chief, he never attached any certificate to the first accused person for deliberately refusing to make statement to police, adding that it was the first accused person’s right to make or not make statement to the police.

At this stage of proceedings, the presiding Judge Hon. Justice John Bosco Allieu became very annoyed over the way and manner in which the prosecution was proceeding with the trial.

He commented that the two accused persons Mohamed Lamin Kamara and Paul Con are charged with the offences of Conspiracy and Murder, but that the investigating police officers who preferred the charges in the persons of Detective Police Constable H.F. Tarawalie and Turay I.B. have not testified in the trial process.

Hon. Justice John Bosco Allieu wasted no time and issued specific orders for the two police officers to make themselves available in the court on the next adjourned date, and then ordered that both accused persons be kept at the Male Correction Centre at Pademba Road in Freetown.

The matter comes up again on Monday 12 November 2018.

In another development, three alleged murderers, Demoh Bangura, her husband Shollay Val Renner and one David Sesay were denied bail by Hon. Justice Bosco Allieu, who ordered that they be incarcerated at the country’s maximum state detention centre in Freetown.

The State alleged that the three accused persons murdered Patrick Bangura alias Junior at his No.7K Upper Tengbeh Town residence and later dumped his remains in a pit latrine at the same residence.

When the matter came up for hearing on Monday 5th November 2018 before Hon. Justice John Bosco Allieu, the court could not proceed with the trial process, due to the non-appearance of one of the jurors, Franklyn Koroma who was said to be attending the funeral ceremony of his late father in the provinces.

They are charged with the offences of Conspiracy to Commit Murder, which negates Section (4) the Offences against the Persons Act of 1861 of the laws of Sierra Leone.

It is alleged that the three accused persons, Demoh Bangura, Shollay Val Renner and David Sesay on diverse dates, between 10th April 2016 and 12th April 2016 conspired together with other persons unknown to murder Patrick Bangura alias Junior.

The State was represented by Barrister Juan M. Bull; the first accused person, Demoh Bangura was defended by Lawyer Ishmael Philip Mammie, the second accused person Shollay Val Renner was represented by Lawyer C. Tucker, whilst the third accused David Sesay was defended by Barrister Mohamed Sahid Sesay.

Hon. Justice John Bosco Allieu adjourned the matter to Monday 12 November this year.    

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