Detective Police Inspector Makieu attached to the Headquarters of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Freetown on Tuesday, 23rd July, 2024 testified before Justice Unisa Kamara on the alleged murder of one Issa Kanu at Kortoboima Village, Valunia Chiefdom Bo District in the Southern Province of Sierra Leone.

The prosecution witness recalled on the 3rd December, 2023 while on duty at the CID, he received report on the arrest of the co-suspect Mohamed Kuyateh, a gold miner on allegation of the murder of one Issa Kanu at the said Village.

Based on the report received, he asked that the arrested suspect be brought down to Freetown at CID Headquarters for investigation.

prosecution witness continued that on the 10th December, 2023 himself together with Detective Sergeant 8826 Konneh obtained further voluntary caution statement from the first accused person Mohamed Kuyatch.

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In his caution statement, Kuyateh told the police that he came to know one Memunatu Kamara through his second wife who introduced her to him as a business woman dealing in gold.

He and Memunatu entered into gold mining business and they started well. Later Memunatu introduced the now deceased Issa Kanu to him and since then he had been in contact with Issa Kanu on behalf of Memunatu Kamara who resides abroad.

In October, Kuyatch said Memunatu informed him that he would send the sum of forty-five thousand New Leones through Issa Kanu for him to start the mining business.

And on the 3rd December, 2023, Issa called him on his mobile cell phone and informed him of coming with the money from Freetown, and he agreed with Kuyatch that they should meet in Bo.

Upon receiving the information from Issa Kanu, Kuyatch contacted two of his men who now stand as the 2nd and 3rd accused, informing them that he had a deal and need their support but never disclosed the deal to them.

He left Bo together with the now deceased to the above mentioned Village on a hired bike, and at the Village he left Issa Kanu and went to a nearby Village with the Bike.

He Kuyateh later asked the bike rider to go and collect Issa Kanu from Kortoboima Village and bring him to the nearby Village. The bike did as instructed by Kuyateh. He came with Issa to Kuyatch and after which Kuyateh said he paid the bike rider off and the rider returned.

According to Mohamed Kuyatch, he went with Issa Kanu to a bridge and while going he asked Issa to be in front and during the process he hit him from the back and Issa fell on the ground unconsciously. He then took the bag Issa was carrying, removed the money and threw both Issa and the bag over the bridge.

He Kuyateh traveled to his home town with the money, but said he was not feeling comfortable with himself, and getting tormented as if the spirit of the death was hunting him. That left him with no option but to confess to the youth in the village.

Alpha Bangura, who now stands as the 3rd accused and also son in-law to the co-suspect Mohamed Kuyateh, in voluntary caution statement said Kuyateh took the deceased to a deep forest where they hid.

As by their plan, Alpha said he hit Issa with a heavy stick on the head and Kuyateh hit him for the second time while on the ground, and Osman Sesay who now stands as 2nd accused strangulated Issa to death.

And after they noticed that he had died, they buried him in the forest. Osman said Kuyatch gave fifteen thousand new Leones as his own share of the deal but later took the said money from him and gave him four thousand new Leones and said that he would use the remaining sum of money to contact a spritualist to fight the case.

Alpha Bangura willingly identified the crime scene to the Police. On 20th December the witness said he and Detective Sergeant 9007 Abu Bakarr Bangura, accused Alpha, complainant Mohamed Bangura and family members visited the crime scene.

The accused Alpha identified a specific place where Issa Kanu was buried. They discovered bones and photos were taken and returned back to Freetown. And on the 23rd December, a request was sent to the Government Consultant Pathologist Dr. Simeon Owiz Koroma to do an autopsy on the deceased. On the 30th December, together with the Scene of Crime Officer (SOCO) they left Freetown to the crime scene where the remains of Issa Kanu wer exhumed and an autopsy was conducted and photos taken.

Osman Sesay, aka Al-Sheik who was also an Imam in the Village was arrested on the 14th December, after he had received seven thousand new Leones from Kuyateh as his own share, and on the 17th December, 2023 Alpha Bangura was arrested.

They were both arrested by the complainant and brought to Freetown for investigation. The accused persons are standing trial in Freetown on two counts of conspiracy to murder and murder contrary to law.

The accused were remanded at the Male Correctional Center, and the matter was adjourned to 30th July, 2024 for further hearing.