April 29, 2016 By Hassan Gbassay Koroma
State Prosecutor in the murder trial of Mohamed Ishmael Bangura and Aminata Sanu has told the court that the victim was killed in cold blood by his own brother because of their father’s estate.
Prosecutor Joseph Sesay, while addressing Justice Babatude Edwards at the Freetown High Court last week said the duty of the state in the murder trial was to establish conspiracy and murder offences which both accused are standing trial for.
He was speaking as the state opened their case of two counts of conspiracy and murder contrary to the laws of Sierra Leone, against the accused persons.
He said on 5April, 2013 the duo had conspired to commit a felony, to with murder, by murdered one Abubakarr Bangura, adding that he would be presenting nine witnesses to testify in the matter.
“My Lord, the deceased was a sane Sierra Leonean and his family and the state would have benefited from him. My Lord, through the testimonies of the witnesses I will present to this court will show that the first accused started the malice from 3 April, 2013 when he stabbed one of his brothers and gave a remark that he would kill one of his family members so that the others will leave the house, and My Lord on the 5th day of April, 2013 he executed his plans together with his girlfriend, and My Lord the aim of this trial is to give justice to the deceased and his family,” said the prosecutor.
Testifying in the matter, after the court had empanelled a 12-man jury, first prosecution witness Fatmata Jalloh, a petty trader, said she knew both accused persons as ‘good neighbours’ and recalled also knowing their alleged victim.
She said on Thursday, 4 April, 2013 she went to her place of business and that she was informed that sister of the first accused had returned to their house, very ill, and that she decided to go and see her. She said that on her way she met the second accused, who is girlfriend of the first accused, who also informed her that the deceased and his brother had returned to the house.
She said the second accused told her that if the deceased and his brother stayed in that house it would be ‘Angola war’ as she would procure gangs to beat and chase them out away from the house.
The witness said she had advised the second accused not to harm the deceased and his brother because they are her boyfriend’s elder brothers and that she should be a peacemaker among them.
She continued that on her way to the house she met the first accused with friends, and that she heard him say he would arrange boys to beat his brothers and chase them out of the house, adding that she also advised the accused not to pursue his plans.
“From there I went in search of his brothers to inform them about their brother’s plan and also further advise not to sleep in the house, but I didn’t see them; so I went to the first accused’s mother and told her what her son had planned for his brothers,” said the witness.
She told the court that on the next day (5 April, 2013) she saw the deceased entering the house but not too long after, one Yusuf Bangura came out of the house crying that they have killed his brother, adding that the first accused also came out with a bloodied knife, with blood spluttered all over his body as he confronted Yusuf and attempted to stab, but was restrained by neighbours.
The witness said she later went into the house and saw the deceased laying on the steps in a pool of blood, with his mount agape, while his elder sister sat close to him crying. She said police later came and took the corpse ago.
The accused are in court on two counts of conspiracy to commit a felony and murder, contrary to the laws of Sierra Leone.
The prosecution alleges that on Friday, 5 April, 2013 in Freetown, the accused persons – Mohamed Ishmael Bangura and Aminata Sanu – conspired to murder, one Abubakarr Bangura, while the first accused murdered the victim.
The matter continues.