By Alimatu Jalloh
Detective Superintendent Patricia Koroma, attached to the Criminal Investigation Department at Aberdeen Police Station, has on Friday, June 2, 2023 led evidence in the ongoing case involving a teacher who was allegedly murdered by a pupil.
Detective Koroma took to the witness stand and recognized the accused person, a 17-year-old pupil, for allegedly killing Mr. Edward Ola Johnson. He recalled that on March 11, 2023 at around 3: 30pm while he was on duty at the Aberdeen Police Division, she saw the accused coming towards the station wearing a black trousers with no shirt or vest on him.
She added that she also heard the shout of some business people, one of who shouted “Jesus”, and also some speaking some Islamic quotation which prompted her to enquire from the accused what had happened.
Detective Patricia Koroma said that at this point the accused introduced himself and told her that he lived at in Freetown.
“The accused said every Saturday he used to go to the residence of the deceased for tutorials,” she furthered.
She said that the accused version of events is that he was at the residence of the deceased, Mr Johnson, on the said date when the deceased ordered for food. He said that the accused explained that while awaiting for the food which the deceased had ordered to be brought, he heard a knock on the door which the deceased Mr. Johnson, responded to by opening the door.
The police witness said that the accused claimed that after the deceased had opened the door he noticed about 14 people, one of who was an OSD officer with a gun and a knife, and also another who resembles someone who resides around Victoria Street.
Furthermore, Inspector Koroma said that the accused person said that he saw them chatting with his tutor for a while, when suddenly the OSD Officer started stabbing Mr. Johnson all over his face.
The accused continue that the deceased during his struggle with his attackers shouted “Haroun run for your life,” which then prompted him to flee.
The witness further said that she then took the accused to the Local Unit Commander, Mr, Emmanuel Kubbie, at his office where the accused gave the same explanation.
According to Superintendent Koroma, the Crime Officer then noticed that the accused had a black socks tied around his fingers which he asked the accused to remove. She added that when the accused removed the socks, she saw a deep cut which blood oozed out of it. She said that the accused said it was one of his attackers who cut him while he was trying to prevent himself from being stabbed.
Superintendent Koroma then concluded that she then called one Officer Marrah who was then attached to the Adelaide Street Police Station to confirm the address where the accused had informed them that the crime had occurred in Victoria Street. She then continued that, in response Officer Marrah asked that “the boy” [meaning the accused] be escorted to the said address.
Madam Patricia said she then entered the report which the accused had made to her in the station’s diary.
During Cross-examination she told defense lawyer M.S. Konteh that she is the Crime Officer in the matter, and that she remembered everything the accused had told her, and she also confirmed that she submitted the report few days after the incident had been reported.
“That day the OPS Officer called the mother of the accused in my presence, and the accused was wearing a black long trousers. No medical form was issued to the accused because the case was supposed to be dealt with at the Adelaide Street police station, and in the circumstance the accused was needed at the scene of crime,” she told the court.
She concluded that she had been a Police Officer for 24 years.
At this stage the matter was adjourned to Thursday, June 8, 2023, as another witness is expected to lead evidence in the said matter.