Sierra Leone: Chi Shu Liang was yesterday sent back to the remand facility at Pademba Road in Freetown after he made his third appearance before Magistrate Mark Ngegba at Magistrate Court No. 1.
Police alleged that Chi wounded Zaung Hang and Tang Lei with a knife in their house at Murray town.
During the sitting an interpreter also took an oath to interpret the language barrier between the witness and the accused from Chinese to English.
The first prosecution witness Mathew Jibawo Panga attached to the Homicide Syndicate Unit CID headquarters recognised the accused and recalled the day of the alleged incident, 6th February 2021.
He said on that day he was on duty when a transfer file from the Congo Cross police station and the accused were handed over to him for further investigation.
He furthered that the file contained two endorsed police medical reports of the victims from the Choithram Memorial hospital, one old butcher knife, and a Sierra Leone Police photographed scene of crime album containing photos of the victims.
He continued that on 8th February 2021, he and other officers visited both victims at the hospital and upon their arrival, he spoke with victim Zaung Hang and she explained that she was responding to treatment while her co-victim had been discharged; adding he obtained statements from her.
He said on that day he obtained voluntary caution statements from the accused through an interpreter from English to Chinese.
The voluntary caution statements were tendered in court to form part of the evidence.
The witness furthered that on 12th February 2021, he and other detectives headed by Superintendent Bayoh visited the scene of crime at Murray town together with the accused.
He said at the scene the accused identified the dining room where the incident occurred.
He said on the same day, he charged the accused with six counts ranging from wounding with intent, wounding and assault occasioning actual bodily harm for which he now stands trial.
According to the indictment, the accused on Sunday 31st January 2021 at Murray town in Freetown maliciously wounded Zaung Hang and Tang Lei with intent to cause them grievous bodily harm.
Also, the accused on the same day and place assaulted both complainants in a manner occasioning them actual bodily harm.
The accused was remanded in custody and the matter was adjourned to 13th April 2021.
SKS/7/04/2021