By Henry Kargbo
Dr. Samura Kamara – the opposition APC presidential candidate in 2018, who is also a former Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and five others is alleged to have on a date unknown between the 1st day of January 2016 and the 30th day of April 2016, deceived the Government of Sierra Leone by giving to the Cabinet a Cabinet Paper document that he knew contained a misleading statement – that: “The Companies undertaking the renovation or constructions are reliable and were subjected to a rigorous vetting process.”High Court Judge Hon. Justice Adrian Fisher last Friday 19th August 2022, adjourned the matter between Saidu Nallo, the (1st accused), Adikali Foday Suma, (2nd accused) Foday Vahfomba Bawoh, (3rd accused), Dr. Samura Matthew Wilson Kamara (4th accused), to September 19th 2022. The Judge made this decision by an application made by ACC State Counsel, Robin Mason Snr. in the corruption trial of Dr. Samura Kamara and five others.
In the state counsel’s application which was not objected to by the defence, asking for adjournment date, which the ACC will bring to court the other witnesses to testify in in the continuing prosecution. “We have already brought in 13 state witnesses who has already testified,” he said adding that the remaining witnesses are still out of the jurisdiction however we will make sure we bring them to court to testify,” the state counsel told the court.
He reassured Justice Fisher that this dates; ACC would act speedily to precede the matter. Lawyer A. Koroma representing Dr. Samura Kamara, the fourth accused gives no objections, but in his short submission, stating that the ACC prosecution team should act speedily to bring the remaining witnesses to testify in court. He applied that the next adjournment date should be able to precede all the remaining witnesses as this is a very serious matter as his client the fourth accused is a well know political figure in the country.
He told the court that the entire country is interested in the matter and that the ACC should treat the matter very serious. The entire defence lawyer gives no objections towards the date suggesting. If you may recalled Saidu Nallo (1st accused), Adikali Foday Suma (2nd accused) Foday Vahfomba Bawoh (3rd accused), Dr. Samura Matthew Wilson Kamara (4th accused), are before the court on 48 count indictments ranging from misappropriation of public funds, conspiracy to commit a corruption offence, abuse of office and other corruption related offences. Hon. Justice Adrian Fisher adjourned the matter to September 19th 2022.
