October 21, 2015 By Hawa Amara
Detective Police Constable (DPC) 8576 Issa Kamara, attached to the Criminal Investigation Department headquarters, yesterday testified against eight of his colleagues who are on trial for the alleged manslaughter of one Francis Haffner, a former resident of Robert Street in Freetown.
The accused persons – John Bai Sankoh, Momoh Mahmud Bangura, Gibril Bangura, John Karimu, Issa Sankoh, Alpha Conteh, Mohamed Sahid Kamara and Mary Naloh – were arraigned at the Freetown Magistrates’ Court No.1 presided over by Magistrate Komba Kamanda on one count of manslaughter contrary to law.
The prosecutor says the accused persons caused the death of Francis Haffner after the latter was arrested on 29 May, 2015 at a place called Common Ground at Robert Street, and detained him until the next day.
In his testimony, DPC Kamara told the court that he and Detective Sergeant 6585 Nanoh J.S. interrogated the accused persons in Krio on 11, 12, 13, and 14 June 2015, adding that he recorded their statements in English while Detective Sergeant Nanoh signed it as witness.
The statements of the 1st and 7th accused persons were tendered as exhibit and form part of court’s records.
Defence counsel I.P. Mammie objected to the tendering of the statement of the 8th accused (Mary Naloh) as she did not make a voluntary statement.
However, he was overruled by Magistrate Kamanda.
Meanwhile, lead defence counsel J.K. Lansana renewed his application for bail but Magistrate Kamanda again refused to grant the accused bail and adjourned the matter to 22 October for further hearing.