By Mamajah Jalloh
Freetown, Sierra Leone — Emma Coker and Abdul Khe-Morlai made their third appearance before Magistrate Sahr Kekura at Pademba Road Court No. 1 on serious charges, including conspiracy to murder and murder, as defined by the Offences Against the Person Act of 1861. The court proceedings have drawn attention to the tragic death of Mohamed Conteh, the alleged victim.
The charge sheet indicates that both accused conspired to commit murder on December 22, 2024, at Bonga Lane in Freetown, leading to the untimely death of Conteh.
During the hearing, the state prosecutor, Sergeant 9939 Mohamed Lahai, presented the testimony of Isata Kamara, a businesswoman and the mother of the deceased. Kamara recounted the harrowing events leading up to her son’s death. She stated that on the morning of December 22, her son left home to sell soap and bid her farewell, promising to return by midday. However, by 2 PM, when he had not returned, she began to worry.
Her concerns grew when she received a call from the chief of Banana Water, who informed her about her son’s situation. Rushing to the chief’s residence with relatives, Kamara found no information there, prompting her to visit the Congo Cross police station, where she discovered her son.
Upon seeing him, she was horrified to find him unresponsive, with blood oozing from his mouth, nose, and anus, and water leaking from his waist. Scars covered his body, leaving Kamara devastated. The police issued a medical request, advising her to take him to a hospital.
Kamara reported that her son’s bag contained 95,000 Leones and a Spark 8 mobile phone, which she could not find among his belongings when he was taken to the hospital. Initially taken to Satellite Hospital on Kinharman Road, they were later referred to Connaught Hospital for further examination. Tragically, he was pronounced dead.
After providing her statement to the police, Kamara received her son’s remains for burial at Waterloo Cemetery, marking a heartbreaking end to a promising life.
The accused were represented by C.J. Luseni Esq., and during cross-examination, the details surrounding the case were scrutinized. Magistrate Kekura denied bail for both suspects, remanding them to the male correctional facility in Freetown. The case has been adjourned to February 24, 2025, for further proceedings, as the community awaits justice for Mohamed Conteh.
