By Usman Fambuleh
Magistrate Harold Kamara of the Magistrate Court in Masiaka has committed Isatu Issa Conteh to stand trial before the High Court in Port Loko on a charge of murder, after ruling that the prosecution had established a prima facie case against her.
The ruling was delivered on 25 September 2026 in Case No. C/S 373/2026, following committal proceedings brought by the Inspector-General of Police. Conteh, of Mathaineh Village in Mesimera Chiefdom, Port Loko Judicial District, is accused of unlawfully killing Issa Conteh on 25 August 2026 at Mathaineh Village.
According to the court, no plea was taken because of the indictable nature of the murder charge. The proceedings therefore proceeded by way of committal. The prosecution submitted witness statements, documentary exhibits and other materials, while Conteh, who was unrepresented, confirmed receiving and understanding the materials.
In considering whether the matter should proceed to the High Court, Magistrate Kamara stressed that the committal proceedings were not a trial to determine the defendant’s guilt or innocence. Instead, the court was required to determine whether the prosecution had presented sufficient evidence capable of supporting a conviction if left unrebutted at trial.
The court considered evidence including a post-mortem examination request and a cause-of-death certificate. The certificate recorded the cause of death as “acute hemorrhagic shock due to homicidal stab wound” to the right medial aspect of the thigh, with the depth of the stab wound recorded as 14 centimetres.
The prosecution also relied on statements from several witnesses. The court said these statements provided evidence linking Conteh to the stabbing. One witness, Alhaji Mohamed Fofanah, told police that Conteh allegedly admitted stabbing the deceased in the right leg with a kitchen knife. Other witnesses described an altercation involving Conteh, her younger sister and the deceased, during which a knife was allegedly used.
The court further considered Conteh’s voluntary cautioned statement, which it said contained admissions concerning the circumstances surrounding the incident, as well as evidence relating to a kitchen knife, laboratory analysis of blood stains and photographs from the crime scene. Magistrate Kamara said the weight, reliability and ultimate effect of the evidence would properly be examined during the High Court trial.
Having considered the totality of the prosecution’s evidence, Magistrate Kamara ruled that the State had established a prima facie case against Conteh. He consequently committed her to stand trial before the High Court in Port Loko on the charge of murder.
The court further ordered that Conteh remain in lawful custody pending her appearance before the High Court, unless otherwise ordered by a judge of competent jurisdiction.
