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The third prosecution witness (PW3), Detective Inspector Sylvanus Sandi, attached to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) at the Lumley Police Division in Freetown, has testified before Magistrate Isata Sellu-Tucker of the Pademba Road Court No. 2 in Freetown in the ongoing murder trial of Steven Kanu alias Abala, who was allegedly killed by John Sesay, Abubakar Yamka, and Noel Smart.
The three accused persons are before the court for conspiracy to commit a felony and murder.
The prosecution alleged that they on Saturday 2nd July 2022 at Kamayama Bridge at Lumley in Freetown conspired with unknown persons and murdered Kanu.
In his testimony yesterday October 20, Sandi stated that he recognized the accused persons in the dock and recalled on Saturday 2nd July 2022 whilst on duty at the police station two people, Fatu George and David Pessima, arrived at the said division and reported a case of killing, stating that the matter was assigned to him for investigation and that he and his colleagues in the operations team headed by Inspector Alusine Bockarie boarded a vehicle and went to the crime scene at Kamayama.
Upon arrival they discovered the deceased (Steven Kanu) lying on the side of the said bridge wearing black pants, adding that the deceased’s right foot was fractured. He said he then walked towards the Malama Comprehensive Secondary School gate and saw a blood stained plank which hadnails affixed on it. At the scene, Crime Officer, Sergeant Conteh took photographs, according to the witness.
The witness stated that he also discovered a red and blue t-shirt in a gutter with blood stains, and three fence sticks with nails and blood stains, on the ground.
According to the witness, he attempted to talk to the victim but he could not respond noting that he was taken to the Connaught Hospital in Freetown where he was pronounced dead.
On the same day, he said he obtained statements from one Moses Kanu and some other witnesses and that on the 3rd July 2022, the second and third accused were arrested by community members and brought to the Lumley Police Division.
The witness stated that on the 5th July 2022, Detective Police Constable (DPC) 1922, Alfred Sam, and Detective Sergeant 8773 Turay F. obtained statement from the second accused.
The third accused’s voluntary caution statement was produced and tendered to form part of the court records.
On the same day Kanu was found dead, Pathologist Dr. Simeon Owizz Koroma, did a postmortem on the 13th July 2022 at the Connaught Hospital that he and the Scene of Crime Officer, Detective Sergeant 11640 Conteh A.T, witnessed.
The witness concluded his testimony by confirming that on Wednesday 14th September 2022, he charged the accused persons with conspiracy to commit a felony, and murder.
The matter comes up again on Thursday 27th October 2022.
