By sulaiman.sesay@awokonewspapersl.com
Freetown, SIERRA LEONE – In a dramatic turn in the ongoing investigation into the killing of journalist Samuel Brima Mattia, the Sierra Leone Police have tendered vital evidence against a popular station manager and two alleged accomplices.
The suspects — journalist Joseph Mendel Lamin, known on air as “Manager Dust,” commercial bike rider Morlai Kamara, and driver Umaru Timbo — made their latest appearance before Magistrate Sahr Kekura at the Pademba Road Court No. 1 in Freetown on Tuesday, May 13, 2025.
They are charged with conspiracy to commit murder and murder, under the Offences Against the Person Act of 1861, as amended by the Abolition of the Death Penalty Act 2021.
Prosecutors allege that on January 15, 2025, the trio, along with unknown individuals, conspired to brutally murder Mattia at the premises of Voice of Peace and Development (VOPAD) Radio in Kissy Town, Waterloo — the same media house where the deceased had worked.
Leading the prosecution’s case, Inspector Abubakarr Kargbo testified before Magistrate Patrick Fofanah, submitting 17 documents (marked Exhibits D1–17), including revealing exchanges between the second accused and others implicating the station manager.
Inspector Kargbo noted that the documents had been sent to the Cyber Unit and the Law Officers’ Department for digital forensic analysis and legal advice.
He further disclosed that the first accused, “Manager Dust,” was interviewed on February 7, 2025. The questioning was done in Krio and translated into English. Lamin reportedly reviewed the statement, confirmed its accuracy, and signed it using his right thumbprint. Inspector Kargbo recorded the statement, with another officer present as a witness.
A similar procedure was followed with the second accused, Morlia Kamara, who was also charged with conspiracy. His statement, also translated from Krio to English, was thumb-printed and signed accordingly.
The case, which continues to attract public and media attention, has been adjourned to Tuesday, May 20, 2025, for further hearings.
As the legal proceedings unfold, the media fraternity and human rights advocates continue to call for justice in what is now one of the most high-profile cases involving a journalist in recent years. SKS/14/5/2025
