By Feima Sesay
The fourth Prosecution Witness Detective Police Sergeant 10601 John Ansumana Marcathy has on Tuesday 28th January 2025 testified against Hawanatu Hawa Koroma who allegedly set her husband Nabieu Bangura ablazed on fire that led to his death.
The accused was arraigned before the Court on a count charge of murder; contrary to ‘’section 1 of the offences against the person’s Act of 1816 as repealed and replaced by section (1a) of the scheduled of the abolition of the death penalty Act of 2021 Act No.6 of 2022.’’
According to the Court, the accused on Friday 22nd November, 2024, at back of Leicester Peak Junction in Freetown, murdered Nabieu Bangura.
The fourth prosecution witness Detective Sergeant 10601 John Ansumana Marcathy in his testimony saud he is attached to the Criminal Investigation Department Hill Top Police stations Mountain division Freetown.
He explained that he knew the complainant in the matter and also recognized the accused in the dock.
The witness further recalled on Friday 22nd November 2024, and said that he was on duty when a case of murder involving one Nabieu Bangura was transferred from the Family Support Unit of the Police to the CID of the same station and that case was later assigned to him for investigation.
He said attached to the file was the voluntary caution statements obtained from the complainant and also the medical report of the deceased when he was admitted at Connaught hospital Freetown.
According to him, upon receipt of the file, he read through it and noticed that the incident which resuted to the death of the deceased, occurred on Friday 22nd November 2024 and the report further stated that it was the accused that set fire on the deceased which led to his death.
He added that on Friday 24 November 2024, a request for postmortem examination was made by him and sent to the Chief Medical examiner Dr Someone Owizz Koroma for postmortem examination to be conducted on the remains of the deceased.
At this point, a Copy of the request document was tendered in court to form part of the prosecution’s case.
The witness further explained that on Monday 25th November 2024, at the Connaught mortuary Dr Owizz Koroma conducted a postmortem examination on the remains of the deceased and it was done in his presence and the presence of the deceased relatives.
He said at the end of the autopsy examination, a copy of the death certificate was issued to the Police and the original copy was handed over to the relatives of the deceased to facilitate the burial ceremony.
The witness further explained that on Tuesday 26th November 2024, himself and Police Constable 21552 Samba G obtained voluntary caution statements from the accused in respect of the allegations and it was done by observing the judges rules.
The voluntary caution statements of the accused was tendered to the court to form part of the prosecution’s case.
The police witness noted that On the 17th December 2024, he charged the accused person with the offense of murder, adding that the charge was done by also observing the judges rules , this was also tendered to the Court as exhibits E1-3.
At this juncture, the case was adjourned to today 29th January, 2025 for a cross examination of the Police witness , the accused was remanded in prison again.
