By Alimatu Jalloh
Police officer Chief Inspector Marrah M. has on Monday 4th and Tuesday 5th September 2023 led evidence against one Mohamed Bangura who was arraigned before Justice Adrian Fisher during the Judicial Week for the offences of wounding with intent, wounding and malicious damage.
According to the particulars of offence the accused on 30th November in Freetown conspired with other persons unknown to commit wounding with intent. In count two it alleged that the accused Mohamed Bangura wounded one Sergeant 15939 Mohamed Lamin Sama. It was also alleged that the accused maliciously damaged the wind screen of a Sierra Leone Police vehicle with registration number of SLP 080.
The accused pleaded not guilty to the offenses, and counsel on behalf of the state, Madam Sawyer, successfully applied for the accused to be tried by Judge alone.
Led in evidence by state Counsel, Chief Inspector Marrah M. attached at the Criminal Investigation Department at Waterloo as an Investigating Officer outlined the fact that his duties include mainly to investigate criminal cases to prevent crime.
After recognizing the accused, he recalled that on the 30th of November 2021 when he was on duty at the CID office in Waterloo the case of was brought in for investigation.
He informed the court that during the investigations a police medical request form was issued to the complainant Sergeant Mohamed Sama who later returned with an endorsed medical form and handed it over to him.
The police witness further said that on the 1st of December 2021 he took statement from the accused person and produced and tendered that statement as exhibit in the matter adding that the Scene of Crime Officer took photos of the crime scene and later developed it to photographs.
“On the 12th of December, 2021 myself and other officers from the OSD together with Sergeant 10410 Fofanah arrested the accused and on the same day myself and DPC 17975 and PC Kimbi interviewed the accused and charged the accused with the above charges” he said.
During cross examination by defense Lawyer I. Bangura, the witness said he was not the lead investigator but had been part of the investigation team.
He confirmed that while he had been obtaining statements from the accused, he told him he was not guilty of the allegations and was in the provinces at the time the crime was said to have been committed, and he was not arrested at the scene of crime.
He also confirmed that there was no name of any assailant mentioned, adding that no name had been inscribed on the photo. He added that the fact that he was not the sole investigator meant that he could not tell what had happened.
At this stage the matter was adjourned and will come up today for further hearing.