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The Magistrate Court in Masiaka Town, Port Loko District, has committed a murder suspect to stand trial before the High Court in Port Loko following a ruling delivered by His Worship Harold Kamara on Wednesday.
The accused, Santigie Conteh, alias “PZ,” is facing a charge of murder contrary to Section 1 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861, as amended by the Abolition of the Death Penalty Act No. 6 of 2022. The matter is listed as Criminal Session No. 113/2026.
The prosecution, led by Sergeant 7716 Sesay A.M. on behalf of the Inspector-General of Police, alleged that on 27 April 2026 at Old Freetown Road in Masiaka Town, Koya Chiefdom, the accused unlawfully stabbed and killed Fatmata Conteh.
During the committal proceedings, the court considered witness statements, documentary exhibits, photographs, the alleged murder weapon, a post-mortem report, a cause of death certificate, and the accused’s voluntary cautioned statement, in accordance with Section 112 of the Criminal Procedure Act No. 8 of 2024.
Witnesses Zainab Kanu and Idrissa Kargbo testified that the deceased identified the accused as her attacker before collapsing. The post-mortem report and cause of death certificate confirmed that Fatmata Conteh died from injuries sustained to her neck.
In his ruling, Magistrate Kamara noted that the accused’s cautioned statement, marked as Exhibits G1–G28, formed a significant part of the prosecution’s evidence. According to the statement, the accused allegedly admitted, “I used the knife and stabbed her,” and further stated that the allegation against him was “true and correct.”
The court also admitted into evidence photographs of the deceased and a stainless steel knife without a handle, alleged to have been used in the commission of the offence.
As murder is an indictable offence, no plea was taken from the accused. Relying on the legal principles established in R v Galbraith and Woolmington v DPP, Magistrate Kamara ruled that the prosecution had presented sufficient evidence upon which a reasonable High Court jury or judge could convict.
“The defendant is hereby committed to stand trial before the High Court at Port Loko on the charge of murder,” Magistrate Kamara ruled pursuant to Section 110 of the Criminal Procedure Act.
