In Ikubolaje Nicol Murder Trial, Sky Bank Driver Testifies

By Feima Sesay

Maada Bundeh who is a driver for sky bank and former driver to the accused Ikubolaje Nicol has on Friday 3rd May 2024 revealed before Justice Alhaji Momoh Jah Stevens presiding judge how the deceased was employed by the accused at the said bank.

The witness Maada Bundeh led in further evidence by state counsel Aruna Jalloh Esq. recognized the accused as his former boss . He also said he knew the deceased Sinnah Kai Kargbo who was a girlfriend to the accused.

The accused he said was his boss and had worked with him for 10 years at GT Bank and 3 years at Sky Bank before the incidents

The witness said he had known the deceased since she was at College when she used to visit the accused at GT Bank and after completing her colleges was employed by the accused at Sky Bank.
The witness recalled 16th October 2022, that he was at home preparing to go to church when he received a called from the accused who instructed him to meet him at Shuma hospital.
” The accused told me that the deceased had an attacked and was taken to the shuman hospital which I did, and on my arrival I met two nurses outside the hospital then I asked them about my boss but they could not tell”, he stated

The witness said he then called the accused on his mobile phone as to his where about and was told that he was at Wilberforce to the deceased parent and the deceased had died but would call him later.
” he also told me that the deceased parent has agreed to take the remains to the mortuary and that I should meet him there it was then the house help to the accused Salifu gave me the keys to the accused 4 Runner vehicle with registration number ABV 410”
According to the witness the deceased Sinnah was at the back sit of the said vehicle, adding that himself together with Salifu and one Mustapha left the hospital and went to Columbia Davise Mortuary with the remains of the deceased On their arrival at the funeral parlour, he said he called the accused who directed him to the staffs and they came and removed the remains of the deceased from the vehicle to the murge.
The bed sheet that the deceased was rapped in he said was removed from the deceased, with her ear rings, adding that he was asked to fill form and he then called the accused who gave him the deceased full name, age and address which he said he did.
The accused , he said asked him to place his own name on the form as the one who took the deceased to the mortuary and was further told by the accused to meet him at Tengbeh Town to his lawyer Rowland Wright which he did after dropping the house help Salifu.
”Whiles at Tengbeh Town the accused told me to wait for him as they were waiting for some Alhaji’s who he wants to help him informed the deceased father about her death, I was together with the lawyer Thompson, lawyer Rowland Wright and others”, he said.
According to the witness, they were informed that the family wanted to see the remains of the deceased , so himself together with the deceased in-law and others went to the Columbia Davis, adding that on their arrival, the deceased brothers also came and told them that they went o Shuma hospital but were told that the deceased was not taken there and so argument ensured between them and the in-law.
The accused he said came later to the mortuary and then argument ensured between them and in the midst of the argument they decided to call the police who came to the scene and arrested the accused and took him away and that he made statement to the police at CID HQ Pademba road Freetown.

During cross examination by lawyer Rowland Wright , defense counsel for the accused, the witness confirmed that he had known the deceased since she was in college and was later employed by the accused at Sky Bank adding that he had drive her several times.
When he was asked as to who used to make tea for the deceased, the accused said it was the deceased.
Lawyer Wright also asked the witness whether he recalled 10 days before the incident when the deceased told him that she had visited her doctor and that her doctor had warned her to stop what she was taking and if not she would die , the witness further confirmed that the deceased told him that the doctor had warned her to stop taking what she used to take and if not she would die.

According to the witness he explained that to the police at CID.
When he was asked whether the deceased sent him a message warning him not to tell the accused what they discuss, the witness said yes and that he also told the police that during the investigation and copy of their message was also shown to the police.
Copy of the said message was identified by the witness in court.
Prosecution at this juncture sought for an adjournment to bring his next witness.
His application for an adjournment was granted by the learned justice Stevens and the matter was adjourned to Tuesday 7th May 2024.

It could be recalled that the accused Ikubolaje Nicol is standing trial on three counts of Conspiracy, Manslaughter and perverting the cause of justice.