In a tragic incident that shocked the community, 30-year-old Mohamed Lamin Turay was sent on remand by Magistrate Santigie Bangura of Pademba Road Court No.3 on Monday, July 17th. Turay stands accused of murdering his own brother, Ibrahim Turay.

The court appearance marked the second time the accused had appeared before the judiciary since the incident occurred on May 16, 2023, at Pyke Street, Off Main Road, Congo Town, Freetown.

During the court proceedings, Mohamed Lamin Turay was formally charged with one count of murder, a grave offense under the law.

The prosecution presented Detective Police Inspector Kai Sungu Brewa as its first witness. Inspector Brewa, attached to the Criminal Investigation Department in Congo Cross, Freetown, testified to the events leading up to the arrest of the accused.

According to Inspector Brewa’s testimony, on May 16th, 2023, one Alie Turay and Moses Thomas brought in the accused to the Congo Cross Police Station and reported the murder of Ibrahim Turay. The case was subsequently assigned to Inspector Brewa for further investigation.

As part of his investigation, Inspector Brewa obtained statements from the complainant and witnesses separately. On the same day, he and a team of police officers visited the crime scene on the main motor road in Congo Town. There, they discovered the lifeless body of Ibrahim Turay lying on the ground in a pool of blood, with a silver-colored knife stained with blood nearby.

The deceased’s body was taken to the Connaught Mortuary for a postmortem examination. The knife found at the scene was carefully preserved as evidence and handed over to the exhibit clerk.

Inspector Brewa also revealed that he requested a post-mortem examination, which was conducted on May 19, 2023, by the pathologist, Dr. Semion Owizz Koroma. The pathologist provided a photocopy of the death certificate, which was presented in court as evidence.

After further investigation, on June 23, 2023, the accused, Mohamed Lamin Turay, was officially charged with the offense of murder.

During cross-examination, the accused, who had no legal representation in court, claimed that he had informed Inspector Brewa during the investigation that he was suffering from a chronic illness that caused abnormal behavior. According to the accused, on the day of the incident, he was unconscious and unable to recall the events.

The court adjourned the proceedings to July 25, 2023, for further hearings. In the meantime, Mohamed Lamin Turay remains remanded in prison