Cybercrime Expert Testifies
By Alimatu Kargbo
Detective Sergeant 6890 Lebbie Sahr Fofay, Systems and Data Analyst at the Cyber Crime Unit at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), testified on Wednesday, February 5, 2025, before Magistrate Sahr Kekura at Pademba Road Court No. 1.
The testimony followed the murder of James Conteh, allegedly orchestrated by six accused persons.
Led in evidence by ASP I.S. Mansaray, Detective Fofay outlined his duties, which include examining, analyzing, and extracting digital evidence from electronic devices.
He recalled that on March 13, 2024, while on duty with Detective Inspector Mohamed Jusu, they received a correspondence and a Tecno Spark 10C mobile phone from Inspector A.E. Conteh for forensic analysis related to the ongoing investigation.
Detective Fofay explained that the phone was found to be in working order. Using forensic tools, they extracted the SIM number (072028459), identifying the phone’s owner as Chernor Kamara.
He stated that several videos from the phone were transferred to a Dell office laptop and subsequently saved on a pen drive, which was preserved as confidential material.
“The videos were reduced to a report, which I signed as the analyst, and D. Inspector Mohamed Jusu signed as a witness. The mobile phone was later returned to D. Inspector A.E. Conteh for safe custody,” Fofay stated.
At this point, ASP I.S. Mansaray sought to tender the pen drive and the report as evidence. Defense lawyer Kofi objected, arguing that the phone should be physically presented in court and the videos played for verification. He maintained that a proper foundation had not been laid.
ASP Mansaray counter argued, explaining that the videos had already been tendered by a previous witness, but the phone had gone missing afterward. The pen drive was examined without objection during an earlier session.
Magistrate Kekura overruled the defense’s objection and allowed the pen drive and report to be tendered as exhibits. The defense counsel requested a deferment of cross-examination, which was granted. The matter was adjourned to February 11, 2025, for further hearing.
It could be recalled that six accused persons Hassan Kamara (alias Shine Face), Fatmata Turay, Brima Kamara, Brima Tarawally, Abubakarr Kamara, and Samuel Turay were charged with murder and conspiracy. According to the charge sheet, on March 1, 2024, at the Assention Town Cemetery in Freetown, the six accused allegedly conspired with others unknown to murder James Conteh, also known as James Okeke.
The accused face charges under the Offences against the Person Act 1861, as amended by the Abolition of the Death Penalty Act 2021.
