By Francis H. Murray
Two witnesses have testified in the ongoing preliminary investigations into an alleged murder case before Magistrate Marke Ngegba in Freetown.
Police alleged that Bintuma Mansaray on the 30th of March at Murray Town Barracks in the Western Area in the Freetown judicial district, murdered Mahmoud Mansaray, a soldier.
Sheku Kamara, an errand boy to the deceased soldier, Mahmoud Mansaray, recognized the accused person and recalled that he was in his room on the 30th of March 2020 when he was woken up by a noise outside within the same compound where the deceased resided.
He said he heard the voice of the deceased saying: ‘‘so you took from me and didn’t do anything,’’ noting that after that he went to wake up one Gaza, who also lived in a nearby room in the same compound. Sheku said he found Gaza deeply asleep.
‘‘As I was returning from Gaza’s room, I heard the deceased shout, saying: ‘she has stabbed me’ and I pushed the door and went in and met the accused underneath the deceased, and I asked her what she had done. I raised the deceased from on top of the accused,’’ he explained.
During cross examination by Defense Lawyer, Musa Mewa, the witness, Sheku, further told the court that the couple had been fighting before the alleged murder incident and that their differences had been mediated by Gaza on several occasions.
Businesswoman, Zainab Kargbo, another witness, also recognized the accused and recalled that on the 30th of March 2020, she was at her business spot when the deceased walked towards her at around 5pm and asked her to prepare food for him as he was going to change his clothes.
Zainab went on to note that at around 11pm on the same day, she heard a sound which frightened her and after a while, she saw the accused approach her.
‘‘I saw the accused approach me with her child in her hands and blood all over her body and I asked her what had happened and she replied saying that I should leave her and that she was going to her mother,’’ Zainab narrated.
She added that she stopped her from going anywhere as she had blood all over her body, noting that the accused then instructed her to take a rapper and rush the deceased to the hospital.
‘‘So I asked her what it was that she had asked me to go and take, but she kept repeating the same thing. Not so long after, I saw Sheku and his younger brother with the deceased who was covered with blood from his chest down, taking him outside,’’ Zainab continued.
She added that they sought for a vehicle but none was available and they later got a motorcycle, with which they rushed the deceased to the 34 Military Hospital. Zainab added that she stayed behind and went to call one Captain Sheriff who came to the alleged scene of the crime.
Zainab said that upon her report to Captain Sheriff and his visit of the scene of the alleged murder, a military vehicle came and took the accused from her room to the 34 Military Hospital.
Not so long, Sheku returned from 34 Military Hospital and disclosed that the deceased had died, she said, adding that she made statement at the police military barracks.
The matter being prosecuted by Sergeant Festina Newsted was adjourned to the 7th July 2020.
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