By Fatima Kpaka
On Thursday, March 27, 2025, Police Inspector Foday Bobor tendered key evidence in the ongoing murder trial of 35-year-old Santigie Kamara, an Operational Support Division (OSD) officer, accused of killing his brother, Francis Amara Kanneh.
The accused appeared before Magistrate Sahr Kekura at Pademba Road Court No. 1 in Freetown, facing a charge of murder under Section 1 of the Offence Against the Person Act of 1861. This provision has been replaced by Section 1(a) under the Abolition of the Death Penalty Act 2021 (Act No. 6 of 2022).
According to court documents, Santigie Kamara is alleged to have murdered his brother on 19th January 2025 at 555 Lorry Park in Waterloo, Western Rural Area, Freetown.
Inspector Bobor, attached to the Homicide Unit at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headquarters in Freetown, gave testimony led by Sergeant 9939 Mohamed Lahai. He confirmed recognizing both the accused and the complainant and recalled receiving the case file on 30th January 2025. The file included the accused’s voluntary caution statement dated 20th January 2025, a request for a postmortem examination of the deceased, and a medical certificate of the cause of death.
Bobor presented these documents as evidence, which were subsequently tendered in court. He also detailed additional items received as exhibits, including four live rounds of ammunition, two empty cartridge shells, a fired bullet, an empty magazine, an AK-47 rifle with the serial number SL/SLP 14/56214164967, and two blood-stained rubber chairs. These items were submitted to the Ballistic Office for examination.
On 17th February 2025, the ballistic report was returned and tendered in court. Inspector Bobor also testified about obtaining further caution statements from the accused on 3rd and 15th February 2025, with the assistance of Inspector Paul Amara Makieu. While the accused cooperated in the first instance, he refused to respond to subsequent questioning. A certificate documenting his refusal was signed by both inspectors and tendered in court.
The prosecutor requested an adjournment to consult with witnesses further. Magistrate Kekura denied bail for the accused, who remains in custody at the Male Correctional Facility in Freetown. The matter has been adjourned to 3rd April 2025.