By Mamajah Jalloh
The first prosecution witness has testified in the ongoing alleged murder case involving 46-year-old twin brothers, Alhassan Fofanah and Alusine Fofanah, who appeared before Magistrate John Manso Fornah at the Pademba Road Magistrate Court No. 2 in Freetown on Thursday, September 3, 2026.
The defendants are facing five counts of conspiracy to murder, murder, wounding with intent, wounding, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
The murder charge was brought under Section 1 of the Offences Against the Person Act of 1861, as repealed and replaced by Section 1(a) of the Abolition of the Death Penalty Act, 2021. The other charges include wounding with intent, contrary to Section 18 of the Offences Against the Person Act of 1861; wounding, contrary to Section 20; and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, contrary to Section 47 of the same Act.
According to the particulars of the offence, both defendants allegedly conspired with other persons unknown and murdered Mumunie Bah on Saturday, July 4, 2026, at No. 69A, Back of PWD Quarters, Sumaila Town, Freetown.
Count three alleged that, on the same date and at the same location, the defendants wounded Alie Bangura with intent to cause him grievous bodily harm.
Counts four and five further alleged that the defendants maliciously wounded and assaulted Alie Bangura, thereby causing him actual bodily harm.
When the charges were read and explained to the defendants, no plea was taken because the matter is before the court for committal proceedings.
The prosecutor, Deputy Superintendent of Police Conteh S., led the first prosecution witness, Detective Police Constable Ibrahim Kamara, who is attached to the Criminal Investigation Department at the Central Police Station in Freetown.
Kamara testified that on July 4, 2026, while on duty at the CID Central Police Station, Detective Sergeant Musa J. assigned him an inquiry file that had been transferred from the New England Police Station for further investigation.
He said that before the matter was transferred, the complainant, Alie Bangura, had been issued with a police medical request form at the New England Police Station.
On the same day, Kamara said he, Detective Inspector Sheku Lukulay and Detective Sergeant Lapia J. visited the crime scene at Sumaila Town, where photographs were taken.
He further testified that on July 5, 2026, the complainant visited the CID Central Police Station, where statements were obtained from him and his witnesses, including Michael Milton John, Abu Turay and Muvlai Bangura.
The statements of the complainant and witnesses were produced and tendered before the court as exhibits.
Kamara said that during the course of the investigation, police received information that Mumunie Bah had died at the scene and that his body had been taken to the Connaught Hospital Mortuary in Freetown.
He added that police at the New England Police Station later informed investigators that both defendants had reported themselves at the station. Muvlai Bangura also presented three knives to the police as exhibits.
Kamara testified that he and Detective Inspector Sheku Lukulay subsequently went to the New England Police Station and escorted both defendants to the CID Central Police Station for further investigation.
The three knives were later handed over to the appropriate police exhibit officer, while voluntary caution statements were obtained separately from both defendants.
According to the witness, the defendants were cautioned and questioned in Krio, and their responses were recorded in English. The statements were read and explained to them in Krio, after which they admitted that the statements were true and correct and affixed their right thumbprints.
The voluntary caution statements were witnessed by Detective Sergeant Musa J. and tendered before the court as exhibits.
Kamara further testified that on July 6, 2026, the complainant returned to the station with an endorsed police medical report, which was also tendered as an exhibit.
On July 7, 2026, police forwarded a request for a post-mortem examination to the Chief Medical Examiner.
He said that on July 15, 2026, he, Detective Sergeant Lapia J., Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Owiss Simeon Koroma, and his team conducted a post-mortem examination on the body of Mumunie Bah. Photographs of the body were also taken.
The post-mortem report and certificate of cause of death were subsequently issued to the police and tendered before the court as exhibits.
Kamara said that on July 28, 2026, police requested a forensic examination of the three knives by the forensic officer at TOCU in Hastings.
On the same date, police requested an extension of the detention of both defendants and forwarded a copy of the investigation file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for legal advice.
Police later received legal advice from the Office of the DPP on August 10, 2026.
Following the legal advice, Kamara, together with Detective Sergeant Musa J. and DPC Mor AB, charged both defendants separately with conspiracy to murder, murder, wounding with intent, wounding, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
The witness said the defendants were cautioned and questioned in Krio, while their responses were recorded in English. The statements were read and explained to them in Krio, after which they admitted that the statements were true and correct and affixed their right thumbprints.
The charged statements were tendered before the court as exhibits.
During cross-examination, PW1 Ibrahim Kamara admitted that one of the defendants sustained an injury during the alleged fight. He also confirmed that although he took photographs of the defendant’s injury, he did not see a cutlass at the crime scene.
Following the proceedings, Magistrate John Manso Fornah ordered that the twin brothers be remanded at the Male Correctional Centre in Freetown.
The matter was adjourned to September 9, 2026, for further proceedings.
