All the witnesses were led in evidence on her second appearance but some of those who testified were not cross examined because the Lawyer for the accused had to travel to Kambia for another assignment. But this did not debar Magistrate Samura from continuing with the proceedings.
According to the particulars of offence, the accused on Sunday 15th October 2017 murdered two children at Kontha–Katick village in the Bakeh Loko Chiefdom, Port Loko District.
Musa Bangura who was 7 years old and Fatmata Bangura – 4 years, were slain and locked in a bedroom. Isatu Bangura- the mother of Musa Bangura was the first to testify. Her testimony and the one made by Sidratu Banura – the mother of Fatmata Bangura were almost the same. They both recognised the Accused –Mariatu Kargbo as their relative and one with whom they dwell in the same compound and village.
They confirmed that she had always been a normal person with whom they used to interact freely.
On that fatal day, Isatu Bangura and Sidratu Bangura had a funeral ceremony to attend at Kamalo –one of the villages in the neighbourhood. They explained how the ceremony attracted most of the elders of Kontha- Katick including their husbands and women. The first prosecuting witness – Isatu Bangura said she left her 7 year old son –Musa Bangura in the care of the Accused before she departed the village for Kamalo.
Sidratu Bangura also left her daughter in the care of the same Mariatu Kargbo. The witnesses said they were at Kamalo for a good half of the day and returned to Kantha –Katick in the evening hours. The mothers of the victims said, they did not see the accused or the children upon their return from Kamalo village. They explained how they went looking for them and went as far as the areas the accused normally goes to do some farm work.
When the men returned to the village and were also informed about the mysterious disappearance of both Mariatu and the 2 children, also join in the search. Every household was searched at Kontha –Katick was while others proceeded to the nearby bushes.
It was quite late in the evening when the village headman- Pa Musa Bangura instructed that the door to the bedroom of the accused be forced open. The witnesses said it was all shouting, wailing and crying in the entire village when each child was found motionless in a pool of blood. Pa Musa Bangura said the 4 year old girl child – Fatmata Bangura as found on the bed with a slain throat, while Musa Bangura –the 7 year old boy was laid on a pile of groundnuts with a deep wound on his hand and a slaughtered throat.
The police investigator, who was next to take the witness stand, said the accused made a confessional statement to the Police. He said the accused confirmed that the children were left in her care while the Parents went to Kamalo. He said the accused explained how she used the opportunity to recall all the maltreatments she had suffered in the parents of these children.
The Investigator told the Court that the accused said she was so much dismantled that life was not worth living anymore. The Court was told how the accused sent the other children to fetch water from the village stream as soon as she noticed that Musa and Fatmata were getting asleep. She quickly placed them in her bedroom and allowed them to be fast asleep. She then picked the knife her husband uses to harvest in the farm and sunk for Fatmata who was sleeping on the bed. She slaughtered her and proceeded to do same to the 7 year old boy. The boy was half awake but was not quite knowledgeable of what was going on. He made a brief resistance when the accused advanced towards him. Musa was however quickly overpowered with a stab on his hand. He succumbed and was again slaughtered in cold blood. After all these testimonies, Magistrate Augustine Samura said he is convinced that the accused – 38 year old Mariatu Kargbo has a case to answer.
He therefore commuted the matter to the High Court of Sierra Leone and the accused was sent on remand at the Correctional Centre in Port Loko.
