Prosecution Closes It Case on Alleged Murder of Providence Teacher

By Feima Sesay

The state prosecutor lawyer Umuh Sumaray on Thursday 27th July 2023, closes the case for the prosecution on the preliminary investigation into the alleged murder of Gillis Ola Edward Johnson involving a School boy before Magistrate Mark Ngegba of Pademba road court No1.

The accused Mohamed Arun Conteh is before the court on one count charge of murder contrary to law. According to the police, the accused on Saturday 11 March 2023, at Victoria Street Freetown murder Gillis Ola Edward Johnson. The ninth prosecution witness Detective Inspector Tamba Kasegbama in his testimony said he is attached to the homicide unit of CID HQ and further recalled on Saturday 11th March 2023, when the accused Mohamed Harun Conteh was arrested by police at Aberdeen and brought to Adelaide Street police station for an alleged case of murder. Having received the case inquiry file together with the accused the very day, he said they obtained statement from the accused and the following visited the crime scene at 54 Victoria Street.

He said they discovered several items including a white shirt labeled hone Brunel that had money logo with blood stain belonging to the accused, two pairs of brown and black slippers among other things. The items he said were taken for the police station for further investigation. The witness during cross examination confirmed that the police issued a medical examination request form to the accused for the stab wound found on his palm.

When he was asked whether any witness confirmed seeing the accused committing the act of murder, the police detective responded in the negative but told the court that there are people who confirmed that. He said he has experienced numerous of such cases. When it was suggested to the witness to be unfair in the matter, he said it’s not true. Tamba Kasegbama was the 9th and last witness of the Prosecution in the preliminary investigation of murder charge against 17 year old high school pupil Mohamed Harun Conteh.

Teddy Koroma told the accused that they charged the wrong person, but the prosecution witness did not agree. At the close of the prosecution case after the testimony of PW9, Lawyer Koroma said he will make a no case submission at the next adjourned date. The matter was adjourned to Wednesday 2nd August 2023 while the accused was remanded in prison.