By Fatima Kpaka
Magistrate Mustapha Briama Jah of Pademba Road Court No. 1 has ordered the transfer of a murder case to the High Court for trial. The accused, Mohamed Josiah, faces a single count of murder under Section 1 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861, as amended by the Abolition of the Death Penalty Act 2021.
Case Summary
Josiah is alleged to have murdered Mohamed Lamin Baryoh on April 28, 2025, at a car wash on Dundas Street in Freetown.
During preliminary investigations, Sergeant Amidu Conteh, a Scene of Crime Officer, testified about attending the autopsy of the deceased at Connaught Hospital on May 7, 2025.
Conteh documented the procedure with photographs taken using his mobile phone; printed copies were admitted into evidence.
Court Proceedings
The accused represented himself in court and cross-examined all three prosecution witnesses.
Sergeant Fama Lahai concluded the prosecution’s case.
Magistrate Jah found the testimonies of the witnesses consistent and persuasive, deeming the evidence sufficient for trial.
No Bail Granted Josiah expressed his intention to testify in his defense but stated he had no witnesses. Magistrate Jah proceeded to commit the case to the High Court and denied bail, citing the seriousness of the charge.
The case now awaits further legal action in Sierra Leone’s High Court.