At the ongoing trial of SLPP Constituency Chairman Abdul Aziz Carew of Constituency 104, Ward 369 in the High Court presided by Justice Browne-Marke, four prosecuting witnesses have testified that they were with Lansana Fadika on the day of the incident, but did not see the person who actually stabbed him and that they only heard him screaming that he had been stabbed. The four witnesses are Abdul Kamara, Alie Kamara, Prince Abubakarr Koroma and Unisa Issaco Kamara.
Led in evidence by Suleiman Bah, Acting Director of Public Prosecution, Abdul Kamara PW5 of No. 8 Magazine Wharf and a trader at Short Street, recognized all accused persons and recalled the 14th January 2012, as it was a Saturday morning when he was called on the phone by one Abubakar saying that he should meet them at Fourah Bay. He explained that on arrival at the stated place, they were told by Fadika to go and mobilize voters to come out and vote and that they were in the process when they saw Aziz Carew coming with a gang of youth. He said Carew bowed down at the knees of Fadika with the words, ‘Omojuba’ in a show of friendliness. He said it was soon after that he heard Fadika scream that he has stabbed him.
PW5 Kamara furthered that carew’s gang started running away and they decided to chase them and were only able to caught one of the boys at Canteen Street who they released on the orders of Fadika, he said.
In cross examination, he told the court that he was invited by Lansana Fadika that morning to meet him at Fourah Bay, adding that he made statement to the police on the 16th of January instant some 48 hours after the incident took place. He disclosed that he was not a voter in that constituency but was called by Lansana Fadika.
In their testimonies, Alie Kamara, Prince Abubakar Koroma and Unisa Issaco Kamara all narrated their experiences in similar fashion as the PW5, with an addition by Alie Kamara of No. 8 Magazine Cut that their attention was diverted by someone who threw debris at them.
Prince Abubakarr Koroma resident of Guard Street, and a student of the Imam Khomeini Institute, disclosed during cross examination by Lawyer Suleiman Banja Tejan-Sie, that there were ten people in Lansana Fadika’s group and about thirty in Aziz Carew’s group.
Unisa Issaco Kamara disclosed that he was not a voter at Constituency 104 where the incident happened as he was only called to mobilize voters.
Lawyer Suleiman Banja Tejan-Sie renewed his bail application for the accused persons as they were ordinary Sierra Leonean residing in the Western Area and that they were ready to surrender their passports and that there were reliable sureties that were ready to stand on their behalf.
Justice Browne-Marke said he will give ruling on the bail application on Wednesday, 15th February 2012 when the matter comes up and the accused persons were again remanded in custody.
By Nancy Koroma
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