By sulaiman.sesay@awokonewspaper.sl
Freetown, SIERRA LEONE – Adekalie Conteh, a 28-year-old businessman, stood in the dock at Pademba Road Court No. 2, his face unreadable as he faced grave charges—conspiracy to murder and malicious property damage. But behind the cold legal formalities lay a story of betrayal, fear, and a family’s unimaginable grief.
The victim, Andrew Mansaray, was more than just a name in a court document—he was a beloved brother, whose final hours were marked by terror. As his elder sister, Memunatu Bendu, took the stand, the courtroom fell silent, hanging on every word of her harrowing testimony.
Bendu’s voice trembled as she recounted the last moments she shared with her brother. On the evening of February 9, 2025, they were together at home—ordinary, unremarkable. The next morning, Andrew returned from Aberdeen Beach, shaken. A cousin had informed him that his belongings, including his phone, had been stolen.
But the nightmare was only beginning. Two days later, Bendu’s husband called with a chilling message: Andrew was being held hostage by Conteh—allegedly over money. Her heart pounded as hours stretched into an agonizing wait. Then, the call no sister should ever receive—Andrew was dead.
At Adonkia police station, Bendu came face-to-face with the unbearable—her brother’s lifeless body. Through tears, she identified him, then gave her statement, each word a painful step toward justice.
The prosecution, led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Sorie Conteh, painted a damning picture: Conteh had allegedly conspired with others to kill Mansaray while also destroying property belonging to Francis Lebbie. The charges, rooted in Sierra Leone’s 19th-century penal codes, underscored the gravity of the crime.
Defense attorney M.W. Jalloh Esq. pressed Bendu for inconsistencies, but her account remained resolute. With no plea taken and emotions running high, Magistrate Santigie Bangura ordered Conteh remanded at Freetown’s male correctional center.
The case was adjourned until April 4, 2025, leaving a grieving family to wait—and a community to wonder. SKS/4/4/2025
