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In an ongoing murder case, Police Sergeant 8826 Sulaicin Mukeh Konneh, attached to the Homicide Unit at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters, testified on Friday, September 20, 2024, before Magistrate Santigie Bangura at the Pademba Road Court No. 2.
The case involves the alleged murder of Fasineh Bangura, for which former police officer Abubakarr Yillah stands accused.
Sergeant Konneh, the prosecution’s key witness, recognized the accused as a former officer and detailed his involvement in the investigation. He recalled that on July 18, 2022, he received a report of the alleged murder and subsequently interviewed witnesses and complainants.
The case took a significant turn when a police team, including Sergeant Konneh, visited the crime scene in Karene Village on August 14, 2022. There, house-to-house inquiries were conducted, furthering the investigation.
Key evidence presented during the trial included a postmortem examination conducted on July 13, 2022, by government pathologist Dr. Simeon Owizz Koroma. The results were handed over to the police and marked as Exhibit A in court.
The investigation also recovered an NP-18 pistol, bearing the serial number SL/SLP-14/13501896-123, which was linked to the crime. This pistol was retrieved from the Operational Support Division (OSD) Coordinator for the North East Region, Superintendent Kargbo, and treated as a crucial exhibit.
Further ballistic analysis of the weapon was requested, and a report from the Sierra Leone Commission of Small Arms was presented to the court.
Despite these developments, Sergeant Konneh admitted under cross-examination by defense counsel Sahid Sesay that when he charged Yillah with murder on October 19, 2023, the Small Arms Commission report had not yet been received.
The charge against Yillah is one count of murder, brought under Section 1 of the Offenses Against the Person Act of 1861, as repealed and replaced by the Abolition of the Death Penalty Act, 2022 (Act No. 6 of 2022).
The charge sheet alleges that the accused murdered Fasineh Bangura on August 13, 2022, in Yana Village, Tambakha Chiefdom, Karene District.
The defense challenged aspects of the investigation, questioning the timeline of the charges and the evidence presented. As the trial continues, the accused has been remanded in custody, and the matter was adjourned to September 27, 2024.
