By Henry Kargbo
The lead defence lawyer for the fourth accused, Dr Samura Mathew Wilson Kamara, Franklyn Bai Kargbo Esq has on Monday 3 March 2023 requested the anti-graft agency’s prosecutors to bring in the seventeenth and eighteenth witnesses to retestify at the on-going Sierra Leone Permanent Mission to the United Nations chancery building alleged misuses of public fund trial.
The former Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Corporation, Dr Alie Kabba who was later demoted to an Ambassador to Sierra Leone Permanent Mission at the UN in New York, was called along with two others to retake the witness boxes and give fresh testimonies in the continuing alleged corruption matter.
The anti-graft commission Court presided over by Hon Justice Adrian Fisher is investigating an alleged corruption matter, involving the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) leader and presidential candidate for the approaching June 24 polls, Dr Samura M. W. Kamara and five others.
Significant highlight of Monday 3 March 2023 hearing was the ACC court receipts of request of the defence team to call on the PW2, Paul Buckarr, PW 17th, Imran Kamara and PW 18th Dr Kabba, a former Ambassador to the Sierra Leone UN Permanent Mission to retake the witness stand today Wednesday 5 April 2023.
Call for concerns for the three prosecution witnesses emerged following the presentation of a thirty–three-page two-day working visit Report on the building site in court, by the ACC High Court Division Registrar and Head of Registry, Alpha Saeed Ann Kanu.
After Kanu’s presentation, the lead counsel representing the fourth accused, Dr Samura Kamara, lawyer Franklyn Bai Kargbo requested for the recall of former Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Corporation, Dr Alie Kabba, who later served the Sierra Leone UN Mission as an Ambassador and Imran Kamara to testify, while counsels representing the second and third accused ordered that the PW2, Paul Buckarr should be to cross examined.
In his submission counsel representing the first accused, Saidu Nallo, Pa Momoh Fofanah objected that the report failed to capture the brand-new elevator, steel frame and doors at the site.
Justice Adrian Fisher asked for the absent of Dr Samura Kamara, saying that he was not part of the team at the building, to which the fourth accused replied that he was well presented by his lawyers. Dr Kamara told the Judge that he also followed up proceedings in New York, and reminded the Judge that he was given options by the court weather to go or send his legal team to represent him.
In his submission Ady Macauley Esq said that the ACC lead defence told him that he has no problem with the absent of his client. Lawyer Kargbo pleaded with the Judge that the absent of his client at chancery building inspections in New York is not disrespectful.
Kanu in his Report earlier recalled that on Thursday 23 March 2023, they made the first inspection of the Four Million Nine Hundred United States Dollars ($4,900) Chancery Building in New York, narrating that they took snapshots and conducted video recordings along with Dr. Samura Kamara’s legal team together with Hon. Justice A. Fisher, as well as staffers, ACC Commissioner, Francis Ben Kaifala and the Director of Communications, High Court of Sierra Leone.
He said a live video was streamed for people across the country to see, adding that during one of the live shootings, confrontations occurred concerning weather the live footages were supposed to be shown on public, but Hon. A. Fisher interfered with the discussion and the matter was later settled.
He said that a picture of the whole building was also captured and even material on grounds on status of the Sierra Leone New York Chancery Building was also captured. Kanu reported that after the snapshots were conducted at the site, several discussions were held on the status of work on the building.
He furthered that on day two of the working visit the Report also captured remarks made by ACC Commissioner Francis Ben Kaifala about the $4.9M, which did not go down well with lawyer Ady Macaulay, defence counsel for the fourth accused.
Kanu said the report also captured statement made by ACC Boss on the speedy trail which the defence counsel also lamented that the ACC Commissioner should not have made such a statement.
The the matter comes up on today Wednesday 5 March 2023 for further hearing.
