During a recent court session, Police Detective Inspector Abu Bakarr Kargbo provided testimony regarding the receipt of significant evidence from the crime scene at VOPAD Radio, including a bucket containing a liquid suspected to be human blood.
Detective Kargbo, affiliated with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters on Pademba Road in Freetown, appeared as the second prosecution witness on March 11, 2025.
He was examined by lead police prosecutor Inspector Kadie Taylor before Magistrate Sahr Kekura at Pademba Road Court No. 1, where three individuals are on trial for the murder of Samuel Brima Mattia.
The defendants, Joseph Mendel Lamin, known as Manager Dust, who was the station manager of VOPAD Radio in Kissi Town, along with commercial motorbike rider Morlia Kamara and driver Umaru Timbo, face charges of conspiracy to commit murder and murder.
Police allege that Lamin, Kamara, and Timbo conspired with unknown individuals on January 15, 2025, at the VOPAD Radio Station in Waterloo to murder journalist Samuel Brima Mattia.
In his testimony, Kargbo recalled that on January 17, 2025, he and Inspector Paul A. Markieu received a transferred case file and inquiry report concerning Mattia's murder. He noted that the file contained witness statements, along with a voluntary caution statement from Lamin and the other accused.
The case file included pivotal evidence: Mattia's Dell laptop, a black backpack, a yellow plastic bucket with a liquid suspected to be human blood, four metal weightlifting plates, two sticks, electrical cables, and a large white rice sack allegedly used to wrap Mattia’s body.
Detective Kargbo further confirmed that additional investigations were conducted on the suspected blood sample, which was sent to the Forensic Unit at CID headquarters for analysis. He presented the forensic analyst's findings confirming the substance to be blood as evidence. It was not stated in court, whether it was Mattia's blood.
Kargbo also noted that Lamin was escorted to CID headquarters by Inspector Conteh for further questioning on January 25, 2025. Prosecutor Inspector Taylor requested a case adjournment to allow Detective Kargbo to complete his testimony.
Magistrate Kekura approved the prosecution’s request and remanded the three accused to the Male Correction Center on Pademba Road in Freetown. The case is set to resume on March 17, 2025.
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