The witness led in evidence by State Counsel Umuh Sumaray Prosecution Witness No.3, Detective Superintendent Patricia Koroma, attached to the Criminal Investigations Department, Aberdeen Police Station.
Detective Koroma recognized the accused and recalled 11th day of March 2023 at around 3:30pm, she was on duty at Aberdeen Division, sitting along the corridor and saw the accused coming towards the station wearing a black trousers with no shirt or vest on him.
Hearing the shout of some business people, one of them was shouting “Jesus” and also speaking in some Islamic quotations, that drew her attention and she ask the accused what has happened.
The accused said his name is Mohamed Haroun Conteh, but he is normally called Haroun, and he lived at IMATT.
The accused said every Saturday he used to come at the resident of the deceased on tutorial classes.
He was at the residence of the deceased, Mr Johnson, on the said date when the deceased ordered for food, awaiting the arrival of the food, they heard a knock on the door and Mr Johnson, went to opened the door.
The accused claiming that he noticed about 14 people, in which there was an OSD officer with a gun and a knife, and another with the resemblance of a Fullah that reside around that particular area.
Due to his observation, the accused said he saw them chatting with his tutor, when suddenly the OSD officer started stabbing Mr Johnson all over his face.
The accused continued that the deceased upon struggling with his attackers shouted; “Haroun run for your life,” and he ran away.
Madam Patricia as the Crime Officer, said she took the accused to the Local Unit Commander, Emmanuel Kubbie, at his office where the accused gave the same explanation.
The Crime Officer continued that he noticed the accused had a black sox tied around his fingers, and asked him to remove it, upon which he saw a deep cut with blood oozing out of it.
The accused said it was one of his attackers that cut him, while he was trying to prevent himself from being stabbed.
The officer said he then called officer Marrah, who is at the Adelaide Street Police Station to confirmed the address at Victoria Street.
Later Marrah called and asked that the boy been escorted to the said address. Madam Patricia said she later wrote a report in the station’s diary.
She told defence lawyer M. S. Konteh during cross examination that she is the Crime Officer. She said she remembered everything the accused told her.
She said she submitted the report few days after the incident. That day the OPS Officer called the mother of the accused in her presence.
She also said that the accused was wearing a black long trousers, and that no medical form was issued to the accused because the case was supposed to be dealt with at the Adelaide Street Police Station, and with the circumstance the accused was needed at the scene of crime.
She said she has been a Police Officer for 24yrs. The matter was adjourned to further hearing.
