VOPAD Radio Station Identified as Crime Scene in High-Profile Murder Trial

VOPAD Radio Station Identified as Crime Scene in High-Profile Murder Trial

At the Siaka Steven High Court No.8, prosecution witness Inspector Abubakar Kargbo delivered crucial testimony in the ongoing murder trial of Joseph Mendel Lamin (also known as Manag er), Morlai Kamara, and Umaru Timbo (also known as Boyka). The defendants stand accused of conspiracy to commit murder and murder in connection with the death of Samuel Brima Mattia.

Inspector Kargbo, an investigator with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at Pademba Road, Freetown, with ten years of service, formally identified the complainant and all defendants. He testified that on January 17, 2025, he received a transfer case file regarding the murder of Samuel Brima Mattia.

The file contained a voluntary caution statement from the first defendant, along with material evidence including a Dell laptop, the deceased's black backpack, four lifting weights, two sticks, a large white sack (resembling a rice bag), a yellow rubber bucket containing a suspected human blood substance, and a long cable.

The Inspector noted that the liquid substance was forwarded to forensic analysts for testing, though a formal report was not immediately available. He confirmed the analyst would be present to testify when required.

On January 18, 2025, Inspector Kargbo and Inspector P.A. Mackieu visited the crime scenes, which included the Voice of Peace and Development (VOPAD) Station in Kissy Town, Waterloo, and the Sierra Leone Correctional Services Center. At the VOPAD location, investigators observed severed cables and a spot resembling a waste receptacle, where the deceased was reportedly bound with the white sack and cable.

Subsequent to the crime scene investigation, on January 20, 2025, Inspector Kargbo and Inspector Mackieu obtained a voluntary caution statement from the first defendant in Krio, which was then translated into English. The defendant acknowledged the statement's truth and accuracy, affixing his thumbprint in the presence of the investigator.

This statement was subsequently produced and tendered as evidence. Later that day, the second and third defendants were arrested, and their voluntary caution statements were obtained separately, following the same procedure. The completed case file was then transferred to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for legal advice.

On February 7, 2025, Inspector Kargbo formally charged the first defendant with conspiracy to commit murder and murder. The charge statement was read and explained in both Krio and English. The defendant admitted the charges and affixed his thumbprint, with the statement tendered into court records. The following day, February 8, 2025, the second and third defendants were similarly charged, and their statements were tendered.

Additional evidence presented included the postmortem examination results dated January 20, 2025, a memory stick containing private conversations between the deceased and the first defendant, and a request to the cyber unit for expert analysis. Inspector Kargbo reiterated that the liquid suspected to be human blood was sent to forensic analysts for testing.

Following the evidence and cross-examination by Musa Beretay Esq., the court adjourned the case to December 11, 2025. Justice Mark Ngegba has ordered the remand of Joseph Mendel Lamin, Morlai Kamara, and Umaru Timbo at the male correctional facility in Freetown as the trial continues.