High Court Rejects Phone Evidence in Abdul Kpaka Trial

The murder trial involving Abdul Kpaka took a dramatic turn at the High Court in Freetown on Friday, as prosecution and defense lawyers clashed over the admissibility of a mobile phone allegedly belonging to the deceased, Sia Fatu Kamara.

The tense exchange unfolded during proceedings when Lead Defense Counsel, Teddy Koroma, attempted to tender the device as evidence, arguing that its contents were central to ensuring a fair trial and critical to the defense case.

Koroma told the court that the phone had been in the possession of an independent third party for over three weeks before being submitted to the court’s cyber unit. He maintained that any concerns regarding data integrity could be addressed after the device had been admitted into evidence.

However, Lead Prosecutor Yusuf I. Sesay Esq. strongly objected, arguing that the defense had failed to establish a proper chain of custody and legal foundation for the exhibit. He raised concerns that the device had previously been in the custody of an IT specialist, Emmanuel Hindolo, and warned that admitting unverified digital material from a questionable source would be unlawful and prejudicial to the prosecution.

After hearing arguments from both sides, Justice Ganda ruled in favour of the prosecution, rejecting the defense’s application to tender the phone at this stage of the proceedings. The judge held that the defense had not sufficiently demonstrated the device’s immediate relevance and reliability to justify its admission as evidence.

However, in a significant development, Justice Ganda ordered that IT specialist Emmanuel Hindolo be called to testify immediately as the defense’s second witness to clarify issues surrounding the device and its handling.

The court further directed that proceedings continue with digital examination of the phone’s contents, which are expected to be projected and scrutinized in open court when the matter resumes.

The case has been adjourned to June 10, 2026, for continuation of hearing.