By Francis H. Murray
Alie Sajah Foster, who was shot in the leg at the residence of the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Lahai Lawrence Leema, and is one of the suspects in the shooting incidence, has been denied bail for the second time following another appearance in front of Magistrate Marke Ngegba at Magistrate Court No. 2, Pademba Road.
Foster is the first accused person in the matter between the Inspector General of Police and two others whom police accused of conspiring to murder the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs.
He has been in police custody since the incident occurred on the 1st of February 2020.
The first accused was shot in the leg just outside the gates of Leema’s 14 Minah Drive Jubah Hill residence. Foster was shot by the Police officer who was acting as guard at the residence during the national cleaning exercise.
On Monday, Foster was in visible pain with his feet swollen and wrapped with a white bandage. His lawyer said he struggled even to move between the Pademba Road prison and the Magistrate Court which is just 100 meters away.
Foster, together with Victor Emmanuel Sesay and Michael Abass Turay, face a total of fourteen count charges. The charges range from conspiracy to murder, conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm, conspiracy to commit malicious damage, riotous conduct, to carrying offensive weapons without lawful authority, among others.
Prosecution witness No 2, Inspector Mohamed Kargbo, told the court that the shooting happened just outside the gates of Leema.
Responding to lead prosecutor, Adrian J. Fisher, Kargbo further noted that following the report of the said incident at the complainant’s residence, he, together with two other officers, rushed to the scene of crime and met with the then commander in Freetown-West, Ambrose Sovula, who instructed them to go and obtain statement from the complainant.
He continued that statements were also taken from two available witnesses: Abibatu Sesay, Aminata Bangura, which was followed by the development of a case and inquiry file and a report entered at the CID on 11th February 2020.
Kargbo said all three accused persons were charged on the 14th March 2020.
Defence counsel for all accused persons, Lawyer Claudius Campbell, asked why the police recorded that the shooting was in self-defense even when no complaint was made by the officer on guard.
He also asked about why the shooter was never arrested.
Campbell also argued that the incident did not take place in the residence of the complainant, for which he said there was no breach of security protocol at the Minister’s residence.
In response, Kargbo said the accused persons stated in their statements that they were coming from the residence of one Mr. Bee whom they had worked for. He confirmed that there was no evidence of breach of security protocol at the Minister’s resident.
Responding to whether the Minister actually reported that he was being attacked, Kargbo told the court that the Deputy Minister did say him and his family were attacked by the three men.
At the end of the cross-examination, lead Defence counsel, Lawyer Rashid Dumbuya, renewed their plea for bail, noting that even the court order by the Magistrate to give Foster appropriate medical attention was never adhered to.
While renewing his orders for the first accused to be given the needed medical attention, Magistrate Marke Ngegba denied all three accused persons bail and adjourned the matter to 30th March 2020.
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