Mohamed Kamara, a plumber at the Guma Valley Water Company (GVWC), yesterday testified before Magistrate Sam Margai at the Freetown Court No 1.
He was giving evidence in the case between the Inspector General (IG) of Police versus Thaimu Sesay, Mohamed Tarawalie, Gibrilla Dumbuya, Mohamed Kamara, Philip Thomas, George Smith, and Ibrahim Garber who are facing two count charges of murder and assault on Anthony Ojeah (deceased),a distribution engineer of GVWC.
The witness, who was led in evidence by the acting director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Oladipo Robin Mason, told the court that he recognized four of the accused and that he recalled the incident of 30th May 2007.
Mr Kamara added that on that day [30th May] he was at work with the Guma Valley’s bowzer which they used to supply water at Kingharman Road, Rasmusson Street Junction together with one Tommy Bendu a driver and Alusine Sesay.
He said, “our team-myself, Bendu and Sesay- went to the hydrant at Kingharman Road, Rasmusson Street junction, where we met seven officers of the Sierra Leone Fire Force fetching water from the hydrant.
The plumber narrated that at the hydrant they met Ojeah who called him and told him about the Fire Force workers fetching water from the hydrant.
“He asked me to stop them from fetching water from the hydrant but they refused,” he said.
Mohamed Kamara continued that Mr Ojeah asked him to get the valve key in order to shut the hydrant.
He added that the third accused, Gibrilla Dumbuya, said to him that if he shut the valve “na wan tin go bi” [something definitely will happen].
“As I took the valve key to shut the hydrant, the second accused Mohamed Tarawalie snatched it from my hand, Ojeah held Tarawalie’s hand but Gibrilla Dumbuya punched Ojeah’s chest while the first accused Thaimu Sesay was hitting the deceased’s back,” he told the court.
The witness continued that he run to the first accused who turned around and hit him while the second accused joined his colleague to beat him up mercilessly.
The witness revealed that as Mr Ojeah was trying to rescue him, the first and third accused started to beat up the deceased.
He maintained that during the tussle some boys in the area rescued Ojeah, who was trying to make a phone call but couldn’t because he was running out of breath.
The court was also told of how, while the deceased was trying to grasp for breath, the first accused hit him with a hose after fetching water from the hydrant.
The witness, who was cross-examined by Osho Williams who appeared for the accused. noted that Tommy Bendu, Alusine Sesay and some area boys took Ojeah to a makeshift tent.
The matter comes up on June 20.
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