Police constable Joseph Francis Kanneh Alpha is expected to appear in court today from the Pademba Road Prison for allegedly killing a Fullah driver, Ibrahim Jalloh, at Mile 45 over the confiscation of a five-gallon diesel container on 7th December 2007.
During the hearing at the Magistrate Court No 3 presided over by Magistrate Bankole Shyllon, the defense counsel Hindolo Gevao cross examined one of the principal witnesses, Abdulai Jalloh, who testified that the driver was traveling from Sierra Rutile to Freetown where the deceased Ibrahim Jalloh went to deposit stones.
He added that they were stopped at the Mile 45 police check point for a routine traveler’s cheque when the accused, Police Constable Joseph Francis Kanneh Alpha, allegedly seized five gallons of diesel in a container from the driver.
The deceased attempted to plead for the release of the diesel and the container but the accused was furious and several efforts to resolve the situation by some passengers and drivers proved futile.
Accused Joseph Francis Kanneh Fullah allegedly took out his rifle and demanded that the deceased and bystanders to leave the scene and forget about the confiscated diesel because it would not be returned to the driver.
In an angry mood, the accused cocked his gun and fired a warning shot in the air but later aimed at the deceased’s stomach and fired at close range.
Several efforts were made to rush the deceased to a nearby referral hospital, but the victim died on the way.
The body was later conveyed to the Connaught Hospital for postmortem while the police constable was arrested and later detained at the Pademba Road prisons
By Saidu Bah
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