State prosecution witnesses Sallay Kamara and Agnes Jajua during their testimonies in court on Tuesday 9th February 2021 said they were badly treated by the police during the course of the investigation over the alleged murder of Khadija Madinatu Saccoh.
According to Jajua, they were detained at the CID headquarters in Freetown without being provided with food and water by the police. She said they were referred to as “killers”, by members of the Sierra Leone Police Force, that didn’t deserve to eat while in detention.
Another witness, Sallay Kamara, who happens to be best friend of the deceased’s mother, said she spent almost a month in detention during the course of the investigation of the matter, and was interrogated several times over Khadija’s death.
Madam Kamara said the deceased’s mother is her best friend and she knew both accused persons as relatives of Binta Bah, her friend.
According to the witness, on the date in question, 17th June 2020, she was at home when the deceased’s mum told her that she needed her to visit the first accused, Mariama Sajor Barrie, and her deceased daughter on her behalf in order to examine their situations.
The witness said after talking with the deceased’s mother, she immediately called the first accused based on the message she got from Binta about her health condition.
After calling the first accused, the witness said she told her that she wasn’t well, same with Khadija, whom she said was having a cold. “I told her to give Madinatu paracetamol but she said to me she didn’t have any at that moment.”
The witness said the first accused sent her son Ibrahim Bah, the second accused, to collect tablets from her, as she was having some at home for her own child.
Madam Kamara maintained that after few minutes, she received a call from the first accused complaining about a collapsed Khadija, and due to such information, she immediately called her friend Binta, adding that Binta told her that the accused had just spoken to her.
The witness underscored that upon calling the first accused about Madinatu’s situation, the accused told her they were taking the child to the 34 Military Hospital for treatment. “I followed them to the 34 hospital,” adding that on their arrival at the hospital, “we were told that the centre was for corona patients by then.”
Madam Kamara furthered that the first accused was on a motorbike with one Alex, who carried the deceased headed for Lumley. Upon arrival at the Lumley roundabout, she said she came closer to the accused and Alex, took the child from him and headed with her to the Iranian hospital.
The witness said the child was examined briefly by the doctor who told them to go to Connaught hospital. She added that the first accused had to call one Mohamed, who told them to go to Choithram hospital for better treatment.
She said they took the child to the Choithram hospital, where her death was later confirmed by the doctor that examined her.
The witness maintained that they took the corpse back to the house, noting that she got a call from I.J Kabba to go back to the Iranian hospital and collect the death certificate.
Madam Kamara said she went there but an authority in the hospital was unavailable to give her said certificate, as the child had not died at the hospital.
Mariama Sajor Barrie and Ibrahim Bah are charged with two counts of conspiracy and the murder of Khadija M. Saccoh on 17th June 2017 in Freetown. Both accused were remanded by Justice Alieu and the matter adjourned to Wednesday, 10th February 2021.
By mohamedj.bah@awokonewspaper.sl