By Aminata Phidelia Allie
Eddie Tunde Williams, who allegedly murdered the former Exclusive Newspaper journalist at Grafton outside Freetown, yesterday appeared in court for the first time since the matter was committed in March this year. However, because of time, the case could not be mentioned and a new date is supposed to be set. The 32-year-old accused is on trial on one-count of murder. He allegedly killed the 38-year-old on Sunday 12 June 2011 at ‘Bush Water Bridge’ in Grafton where he had gone to cover a land dispute between some youth of Grafton and Kossoh Town, in the outskirts of Freetown. He was arrested in November last year after he had been on the run since the killing of the journalist. He has been on remand since while going through preliminary investigation and committal. He will make a second appearance before Justice M. A. Paul for trial on a date to be set by the court. Before the same judge, seven of the seventeen accused persons who were staff of the National Revenue Authority (NRA) and the Ecobank were refused bail and sent back to prison while their trial progressed. Justice Paul said that there was no change in the circumstances surrounding the case, adding that he refused the accused bail with a promise that he would move the case at a faster pace “which I have since been doing”. He said the court, “in its wisdom”, had deemed it fit to refuse them bail, adding that if anything he was an authority on bail and knew when and how it was to be granted. “I have not seen any other case that moves as fast as this one,” he assured. Of the seven, five are standing trial. They are Solomon Hindolo Katta, Idrissa Fornah, Momoh Turay, Emmanuel Sesay and Catherine Katta. While Elizabeth King and Santigie Kargbo were still at large. A total of seventeen people were indicted in June by the Anti-Corruption Commission for allegedly defrauding the state. The trial of remaining batch of ten will continue next week. The matter comes up again today for more evidence.
© Politico 08/10/13
