By Fatima Kpaka
On Friday, February 21, 2025, businesswoman Isata Kamara took the stand before Magistrate Sahr Kekura at Pademba Court No. 1, testifying against Emma Coker and Abdul Khe-Morlai in the case of her son Mohamed Conteh’s alleged murder.
The defendants, Coker and Khe-Morlai, made their third court appearance, facing two charges: conspiracy to murder and murder. The charges stem from an incident on December 22, 2024, when the pair allegedly conspired and committed the murder of Mohamed Conteh at Bonga Lane in Freetown.
The first prosecution witness, Kamara, detailed in court that she was unfamiliar with the accused until the trial. She recalled that on December 22, 2024, her son left home to sell soap but did not return by midday as usual, prompting her concern. Despite attempts to reach him by phone, she received no response.
Later, Kamara received a call from the chief of Banana Water, informing her about her son. She hurried to the chief’s residence with relatives, only to be directed to the Congo Cross police station. There, she found her son bleeding from his mouth, nose, and anus, with water seeping from his waist and visible scars on his body. He was unable to respond to her.
The police issued a medical request, and Kamara was advised to take her son to the hospital. Initially taken to Satellite Hospital on King Harman Road, Mohamed Conteh was referred to Connaught Hospital, where he was examined but sadly passed away shortly after arrival. His body was later buried at Waterloo Cemetery.
During cross-examination by defense counsel C.J. Luseni Esq, Kamara reiterated her account. Magistrate Kekura denied bail for the accused and adjourned the case to February 24, 2025.