By FORUM NEWS Staff Writer
By ways of playing significant roles in purging drugs out of the country, a Freetown Magistrate Court has last Friday 25 August 2023 sent four suspect on remand for alleged kush peddling.
Mohamed Colon Bah, Ibrahim Ben Kamara, Alimamy Kargbo and Alfred Conteh were sent on remand at the Male Correctional Centre on Pademba Road by Magistrate Sahr Kekura of the Ross Road Court No.1 for unlawful possession four hundred and nine wraps of kush and dozens of cartons of tablets of substance suspected to be tramadols.
The accused were arraigned for unlawful possession of kush and other substances suspected to be drugs contrary to section 8(a) of the National Drugs Control Act of 2008 and other related charges contrary to law.
It was alleged that Mohamed Colon Bah, on Tuesday 8 August 2023 at No. 88 Thunder Hill in Freetown was found in possession of wrapped substances suspected to be kush.
The charge sheet further informed that court that Alfred Coker, on the same date at Jay Matter, Kissy East of Freetown, was also found in possession of one hundred and sixty-four wraps of substance suspected to be kush.
It was alleged that Ibrahim Ben Kamara, on the same date at No. 7 Sesay Lane, Calaba Town also of Freetown, was found in possession of seventeen tables suspected to be tramadols.
The third accused on same date at Up Town Bar, Calaba Town, Freetown, was found in possession of a box and 16 tablets suspected to be tramadols.
Led in evidence by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Osman M. Bangura, formal witness Sub – Inspector Desmond Kamara attached to the Ross Road Police Station, Harbour Division at the Anti-Drugs Unit Freetown East, acknowledged that he recognised the accused and could recall Tuesday 8 August 2023.
Inspector Kamara a team of police officers headed by Sub-Inspector, Musa Conteh boarded SLP 340 and embarked on routine patrol in the East of Freetown.
He said when the team arrived arrival at Jay-Mata, Bai Bureh Road, they arrested Alfred Coker of Coker Lane in possession certain warps of substance suspected to be kush and eight tablets suspected to be tramadols. He said when they arrived at No. 88 Upper Thunder Hill Road in Freetown, they arrested Mohamed Colon. Bah of the same address and a search was conducted at his premises.
He said during the search, a box contained tablets suspected to be tramadols, two plastics contained substance suspected to be kush and four hundred and nine wraps of dried leaves suspected to be false, two military caps, jackets and seven scissors, 17 cigarettes papers and cash of Twenty-One Thousand Leones (NL21,000).
Kamara said the accused signed the search warrant witnessed by an independent witness, name withheld. The endorsed search warrant was produced and tendered to form part of the court’s records.
He said the accused was arrested including items discovered and they proceeded to Up Town Bar in Calaba Town, Freetown, where the second and third accused persons were arrested.
Kamara disclosed that they conducted searches at both the second and third accused persons’ residences separately, adding that during the search, 27 tables suspected to tramadols and cash of Six Hundred and Fifty New Leones (NLe650) were discovered.
The search warrants were also endorsed in the presence of the accused and witnessed by independent witness, Mr Hassan Daniel Williams of No. 27A Sesay Lane in Calaba, Town Freetown.
The search warrants were produced and tendered to form part of the court’s records, disclosing that the warrant was endorsed and witnessed by Hassan Daniel Williams.
Kamara disclosed that the accused persons were convened to the Ross Road Police Station and handed them over including the exhibits to the Criminal Investigations Department-CID, Ross Road Police Station Harbour Division in Freetown for further investigations.
He said he reduced his findings into report, which was produced and tendered marked exhibits D1-3.
Cross examination was deferred, while the accused were denied bail and sent on remand at the Male Correctional Centre on Pademba Road in Freetown.
The matter comes up again on 31August 2023 for cross examination.
