By Henry Kargbo
Festus Mansaray, alias Big Man, Alhaji Bangura and Osman Kabia on Thursday 8 September 2022 were sent back to the Male Correctional Centre by Justice Simeon Aiah Alieu J of High Court No 5 in Freetown.
The accused appeared on Thursday before Justice Allieu for the murder of the Late General Rtd. S.O Williams at his home at Devil Hole in Freetown sometime in December 2016.
PW1 Detective Corporal Brima Koroma attached to the Headquarters of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) in Freetown, stated that on 16 February 2017 he received information about the accused person Ibrahim Kalokoh (now deceased) on an alleged robbery matter and is on the run at Koya Village in Port Loko District.
According to Detective Corporal Brima Koroma, a team of police investigators including himself went in search of Ibrahim Kalokoh at the said village in Koya chiefdom. He said that upon arrival at the Makiteh Village they met one okada rider who indentified the accused Ibrahim Kalokoh (now deceased).
He told the court that he got onboard the okada rider to take him to the village and left his colleague investigators alert searching for the accused person.
He said that on their arrival at Makiteh village the accused was identified by the okada rider as he was among other youths smoking at a particular veranda.
Detective Corporal Koroma said the rider told him to step aside as soon as the accused saw the rider. He said the accused asked the okada rider to also take him along but the rider told the accused that he had another passenger with him heading for Mile 91 highway and the accused agreed.
He said the accused asked the rider to take him first to his house to collect some items while he stood waiting for them. He added that while waiting for them he called his team to be alert as in ten minutes they would appear with the accused person.
Detective Corporal Koroma said further that the rider brought the accused onboard the bike and when he attempted to seat behind the accused on the bike, the accused refused and instead asked him to seat in the middle, which he did. But on their way going, he said he was chatting with the accused and the rider as if he were a native of the village.
Detective Koroma narrated that on their way going he quickly grabbed the accused person and as they were struggling, he called his teammates to assist him, because he was bitten seriously by the accused person on his back and other parts of his body.
Detective Koroma added that they overpowered the accused, arrested him brought him at the CID.
He said that on the following day 17 February 2017 at CID, Ibrahim Kalokoh (now deceased) stated that he got the shot gun from one Hassan Mansaray at the same village and after the robbery operation he later took the gun to one Osman Kabia, a black smith, at the Koya chiefdom.
He told the court that upon such information, a team, again led by himself and other investigators, left CID with the accused Ibrahim Kalokoh (now deceased) to the said village in search of Osman Kabia the blacksmith, who allegedly gave the gun to be repaired.
He added that as they arrived at the village, the accused identified Osman Kabia and requested for the shot gun from him. And Osman admitted that the gun was given to him by the accused for safekeeping not to repair it.
He stated that by then the accused had accompanied him to the bedroom of Osman Kabia and dismantled the gun and did hand over it to them and Osman Kabia was also arrested.
Detective Koroma said that on the same day they left for the same village searching for Hassan Mansaray who Ibrahim Kalokoh said was the one who sold cartridge to them to rob and kill S.O Williams.
PW1 narrated that they searched the shop and found cartoons of cartridge for short gun and he was also arrested.
He stated that the team of investigators went to Belgium at Lightfoot Boston Street where the Late S.O Williams’ Iphone was sold to allegedly Oladelay Cole and Suma, who were also arrested.
At this juncture, Justice Simeon Aiah Allieu J adjourned the matter till 29 September 2022.
