8 Police Officers Beats Man to Death in Freetown

For allegedly beating a man to his death, Eight officers of the Sierra Leone police are currently being remanded in the Freetown Magistrate’s Court.

Global Times reports that the Eight Police Officers including John Bai Sankoh, Momoh Bangura, Gibril Bangura, John Karimu, Issa Sankoh, Mohamed Kamara, Mary Nallo and Alpha Conteh; all attached to the Central Police Division were yesterday remanded at the Pademba Road Male and Female Correctional Centres in Freetown by Magistrate Komba Kamanda.

The accused Police officers were answering to one count charge of Manslaughter contrary to law.

According to the particulars of offence, the accused on the 29th May 2015 at Robert Street Common Ground Community allegedly killed one Francis Hafner.

In her testimony in court, the first prosecution witness who also doubles as the wife of the deceased, Mrs. Hannah Hafner (nee Brown) told the court that she recognised all the accused persons and recalled on the said date when she and her husband went to a church revival at Common Ground Community Centre at about 7:pm.

She said while at the revival, she left her husband and went to see a friend and later decided to go home at 10: pm.

The witness continued that upon her arrival at home, she met a friend of her husband who informed that her husband had been arrested by some Police officers.

Based on the information, the witness said she went to the Central Police Division together with a friend on the following day at about 7am in the morning where she met her husband the deceased crying.

Mrs. Hafner went on that as she tried to enquire from her husband as to what led to his arrest, she said her husband told her that he was arrested on his way home after the revival service and was beaten and tortured by some Police officers.

She said she then proceeded to the lock up officer to enquire as to who was in charge of the matter. The lock up officer then referred her to one Inspector Sankoh who is the sixth accused in the matter.

Madam Hafner said she instructed her step son, Charlie Hafner to talk to the sixth accused who then asked them to provide three hundred thousand Leones for the release of the deceased but said they negotiated for one hundred and fifty thousand Leones which she provided and her husband was released after statement was obtained from him.

While at the police station, the deceased was unable to walk properly and was helped by his wife and step son and headed home. At home, the witness said her husband could hardly take his bath or even eat by himself unless they had to help him.

The witness furthered, that she later on boarded her husband onto a taxi to Connaught Hospital.

On entering the hospital, she said her husband died. She said she later went to the Local Unit Commander at Central Police and reported the matter. The LUC then referred her to the Criminal Investigation Department where she made a statement.

Lawyer Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai is associating with the Police prosecutor, Assistant Superintendent of Police Samuel Kamara while Lawyer J.K Lansana, M.A Sesay and others are defending the accused persons.
Bail was refused and the matter was adjourned to the 15th September 2015.