By Feima Sesay
Defense counsels have yesterday opened their case in the alleged murder of Abubakar Dumbuya personal bodyguard to Fatima Bio before Magistrate Mark Ngegba of Pademba Road Court No.1. Involving Mohamed Samura, Mohammed Lamin and Momodu Evelyn Jabbie.
Prior to the opening of their case, the exhibit clerk Detective Police officer 8576 Issa Kamara led in evidence said he is attached at the exhibit office at Criminal Investigation Department headquarter.
He added that some of his duty is to register all exhibits related for investigation at the station.
He recalled on 27 February, 2023, saying he was on duty when Inspector Karim JBM handed over to him one mix colour facing cap, one small purse and a piece of stone, adding that he then register them against serial number RCE46 /2023 and has since been in police custody.
The said exhibits were tendered before the court to form part of the court records.
Lawyer Madieu Sesay for the first accused said he will do a written no case submission before the court , whiles lawyer Nylender and H. M Geavo said the second and third accused will testified before the court.
Taking the witness stand, the second accused Mohamed Alie Dumbuya said he is a businessman and recall on the 26 February, 2023.
He said on that day, at around eleven in the morning, he went to the thanksgiving service of Saint Edward School since he is an old boy, adding that after the service he went out with his friends to have some drinks and he bought drinks and put them in his car.
Witness Lamin continues that after that he drop his friend at lodge with his car and he went to Wilberforce to sleep.
He said the following day at ten in the morning he left for Kambia to see his mother who was sick and whiles returning to their home at Kambia.
He saw two police officers standing in the resident of his mother and they stopped his car and the police officers work closely to him and asked of his name and saying that they are looking for one Kelvin, adding that they were investigating a case that allegedly happened in Freetown.
He said the police officers instructed him to lead them to the house of his mother to do a search without no warrant, adding that they did not find anything in the room and they also searched his car.
He said in his car he was having sixteen thousand, eight hundred British pound Stanley, one thousand one hundred unites states dollars, including five million, one hundred old Leones.
He said the police officers took the money and they made records of it and the officers also signed that they took such amount.
He also further that after giving them the money they arrested his Nissan Rokel car with registration number ATX 141, adding that the car was owned by his friend Ramatu.
He said since then he did not receive his money from the police officers.
Defence counsel Nylender made an application that the court should made an order to the head of CID headquarters for the money taken from the accused be made available in court as the exhibit clerk ought to have tender it before the court but they refused.
Magistrate Ngegba made an order to the head of the CID and the prosecution that the items taken from the second accused returned to him.
At this juncture, the matter was adjourned to the 24 April 2023 for further hearing
