Franklyn Gbao, a school pupil, has testified in an open court that he and a couple of other individuals saw the 3rd accused in an ongoing preliminary investigation into a shooting at “Deep Yiye Water” and killed Yaya Barrie.
The accused persons, Mohamed Mansaray, alias All Don Bus, Isaac Bah, Umar Momoh Kanu and four others, being armed with guns and machetes, were alleged to have engaged in robbery activities and shot and killed Yaya Barrie.
The accused persons are before Magistrate Santigie Bangura at the Pademba Road Court No. 2 in Freetown, facing eleven counts of charges of shooting with intent to kill, wounding with intent, and robbery with aggravation, among others.
Testifying under oath, prosecution witness Franklyn Gbao identified the accused as a gang group. He recalled that on Friday, March 8th, 2024, he and a couple of other members of the Deep Yiye Community came together and decided to provide security for community residents who had been under several attacks.
Gbao continued that this group of community volunteers embarked on a search for the accused persons. During the course of the search, Gbao said that he and his colleagues saw the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th accused persons. “We also saw the 3rd accused released a shot leading to the death of the deceased, Yaya Barrie,” Gbao revealed.
Shortly after, the above-mentioned accused persons were apprehended and kept in custody. The deceased was conveyed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Gbao later made a statement to the police.
After Gbao’s testimony, the accused persons not represented in court cross-examined the witness.
After cross-examination, Magistrate Bangura remanded the accused persons, and he adjourned the matter to the 26th of June 2024.
