By Aminata Phidelia Allie
Presiding Magistrate, Komba Kamanda of Court No. 2 has ordered the head of the Criminal Investigations Department to arrest Police Constable Musa Samura alias Barthez of the Operational Support Division (OSD), and one Murray in connection with the trial of the accused murderer of journalist Ibrahim Foday, Tunde Williams.
The first prosecution witness made repeated reference to the men in court.
“We cannot leave them out of this case; they must be brought in to testify before the court and if they have no case they will be discharged”, Magistrate Kamanda said.
Barthez had been arrested following the murder of the journalist last year but was freed under circumstances the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists criticised. He was alleged to have held the journalist for ease of his fatal stabbing.
Meanwhile Defense counsel in the trial of Eddie Tunde Williams, accused of murderering journalist Ibrahim Foday says the first prosecution witness, Sheriff Kamara blatantly lied to the court about his presence at the time of the murder.
Lawyer Augustine Kailie Musa asked the court to make the witness’ statement a part of the trail, which he said was different from what the witness had so far said in court. “I put it to you that the part in which you said that the accused withdrew the knife and licked the blood on it was never mentioned while making your statement to the police”, he said. “I also put it to you that you were not at the scene of the crime and you didn’t accompany those who took the deceased to the hospital where his death was confirmed, prove me wrong”, the lawyer challenged.
Next adjourned date is Monday, 17 December.
