A Magistrate Court sitting at Mile 91 Town has committed one Adamsay Jalloh to stand trial at the High Court on a murder charge following a ruling delivered by Magistrate Harold Kamara on 23rd March 2026.
The case, numbered C/S 112/2025, was instituted by the Inspector-General of Police. The prosecution was led by Sub Inspector I.F. Bangura Esq, while the defendant was represented by O.B. Kamara Esq.
The defendant is charged with murder contrary to section 1(a) of the schedule to the Abolition of Death Penalty Act, 2021 (Act No. 6 of 2022). At arraignment, no plea was taken due to the indictable nature of the offence.
During the proceedings, the prosecution tendered several exhibits, including witness statements, the defendant’s voluntary cautioned statement, charge statements, police progress reports, photographs of the alleged crime scene, a request for exhumation, and legal advice from State Counsel.
In his ruling, Magistrate Harold Kamara stated that the court was not required at this stage to determine the guilt or innocence of the defendant, but rather to assess whether a prima facie case had been established to warrant trial before the High Court, in line with the Criminal Procedure Act, 2024.
The court noted that prosecution witnesses indicated that the deceased child, Mabinty Kamara, was last seen in the custody of the defendant, who is her mother. Witnesses reportedly gave consistent accounts that the child went missing while under her care, with concerns raised over conflicting explanations provided by the defendant.
The ruling further stated that in her voluntary cautioned statement, the defendant allegedly admitted that the child died during the night and that she secretly buried the body in a bush without informing authorities or family members. The court also referenced police investigations in which the defendant allegedly led officers to the burial site, where a decomposed body was recovered. Photographic evidence was also tendered in support of the findings.
Magistrate Kamara held that the evidence before the court established the fact of death, that the death occurred while the child was in the custody of the defendant, and that the circumstances, including alleged concealment of the body, raised strong suspicion of unlawful killing.
On concerns regarding the defendant’s apparent mental condition in court, the magistrate noted that no medical evidence had been produced to support any claim of insanity or unfitness to stand trial.
Having carefully reviewed the evidence, Magistrate Kamara ruled that a prima facie case of murder had been established and accordingly committed Adamsay Jalloh to stand trial at the High Court.
The defendant has been remanded in custody pending trial.
