By Saio Marrah
Detective Constable Bockarie Mustapha told the High Court in Freetown on Wednesday 13th March 2024 that contrary to what he said, CCTV footage did not portray the 11th accused Kabba Kamara as someone held hostage by the unknown gunmen but he was actively among them.
The witness was responding to questions from state prosecutor, Oladipo Robin-Mason on whether they investigated a claim made by the accused that he was taken hostage by the assailants at Congo Cross while on patrol on 26th November, 2023.
On Thursday 14th March the 11th prosecution witness, Detective Sergeant Solomon Amadu said he acted as the recorder when the investigation recommenced on the 1st January 2024 to obtain a statement from the accused – Kabbah Kamara.
He told the court that they confronted the accused with the CCTV footage showing him in the corridors of the Pademba Road Correctional Center. He said the accused was seen “comfortably, willingly and voluntarily firing tear gas at the Pademba Road Correctional Centre” and that at a certain point, the accused was seen standing with the first accused, Amadu Koita Makalo, and others.
The accused had told investigators that on the day of the incident, he was among the team of police officers patrolling around Congo Cross and as they reached the National Petroleum (NP) filling station, they saw some men dressed in military uniforms and the men started firing at them, forcing them to flee and hide. He said when the firing stopped he came out of hiding and was arrested by the unknown gunmen, who took his pistol from him and beat him up.
He said they drove towards Campbell Street, where the assailants threw him out of their vehicle and forced him to walk behind them toward Pademba Road Correctional Center. The accused said when they reached Benjamin Lane; the assailants tortured him to the point of tearing up his police uniform.
During cross-examination, Lawyer M.J. Kamara asserted that the document reveals that the witness was not present at the commencement of the interview on 10th December last year. The defence lawyer also asked for the CCTV footage to be brought to court.
Copyright © 2024 Politico (15/03/24)
