Magistrate Fornah Remands Business Tycoon For Murder

By Fatima Sesay

 

Adekalie Conteh, a businessman, was on Thursday 7th August 2025 sent on remand by  Magistrate John Manso Fornah of Pademba Road court  No.2 for alleged murder  of Andrew Mansaray during a fight.

The accused was arraigned before the Court on three count charges of murder and malicious damage, all contrary to law.

The charge sheet indicated that Conteh on Saturday 16 February 2025 at Tokeh village, in the western peninsula, murdered Andrew Mansaray and also maliciously damaged one Bluetooth music set worth three thousand new Leones, property of Francis Lebbie.

The witness, Francis Lebbie, identified the accused Conteh in the dock and recalled the events of the said date.

He furthered that he was at his business place when the accused arrived with a tricycle and a group of boys, adding that they started disrupting business activities in the area.

He continued that the accused and his boys were armed with cutlass, knives and broken bottles and went about destroying business centres, including his own shop, where a Bluetooth speaker and Coleman were destroyed.

Lebbie told the court that he fled the scene and boarded a motorbike and reported the matter to the police and also the community headman, Mr Momoh. He maintained that later he got information that someone had been killed close to his business area.

Lebbie’s police statement was tendered before the Court and was marked as exhibit F1-15.

The witness was cross-examined by Defense Counsel J. Fofanah, who also sought for an adjournment to further his cross-examination.

Magistrate Fornah denied bail due to the gravity of the offence and ordered accused Conteh to be remanded at the Correctional facility in Freetown.

The matter was adjourned to the 14 August 2025 for further cross-examination.