By Fatima Kpaka
Abu Bakarr Yillah, 47, a police officer attached to the Operations Division Wing, Kambia Police Division, was on Wednesday, October 30, 2024, committed to High Court by Magistrate Santigie Bangura of Pademba Road Court No 2 for the alleged murder of Fasineh Bangura.
The accused was arraigned on one count of Murder contrary to section 1 of The Offences Against the Person Act 1861, as repealed and replaced by section 1(a) of the Schedule of the Abolition of the Death Penalty Act 2021, Act No 6 of 2022.
According to the indictment, the accused Abu Bakarr Yillah on Wednesday, July 13, 2022, at the Yana Village in the Tambakha Yombagie Chiefdom in the Karene district, northwest region murdered Fasineh Bangura.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Sorie Conteh led several witnesses.
Magistrate Bangura before the committal stated that due to the indictable nature of the offence, a preliminary investigation was conducted against the accused. In that regard, the prosecution was required to adduce sufficient evidence that should establish a prima facie case to be answered by the accused for him to be sent to stand trial at the High Court.
In discharging this burden against the accused, the prosecution, he said, called five witnesses including the formal witnesses, adding that at the close of their case, defense counsel filed a no case to answer submission on behalf of the accused to which the prosecution replied.
He said having considered the no-case submission made and the circumstance in which same could be upheld, and due to the totality of the evidence adduced, he said he was satisfied that the prosecution had raised a prima facie case to be answered by the accused to stand trial.
Consequently, he committed the accused to the High Court to stand trial.