June 14, 2021
By: Francis F.M.Harding
Alhassan Bah, Hassan Williams, Saidu Bangura and Ishmael Baimba Fofanah have appeared before Magistrate Sahr Keikura of Court No 1 in Freetown on the 10th June, 2021 at the Pademba Court. The four accused persons are before the court for conspiracy to defraud, forgery, uttering and trafficking contrary to the Laws of Sierra Leone.
According to police charged sheets, the accused persons are charged with four counts, count one of conspiracy to defraud, forgery, uttering and trafficking. It’s alleged in count one that the accused persons on the 19th March, 2021 and the 21st May, 2021 with intent to defraud conspired together with other persons unknown to defraud Africell Mobile Company Sierra Leone the sum of fifty million Leone (Le50, 000,000/00) by falsely pretending that they are the actual winner of Afrimoney Ramadan DI HUT SHOW 2021 knowing the same to be false.
It’s alleged in count two that the accused persons on the 19th March, 2021 and the 21st May, 2021 defraud, forged certain documents to wit King Fuad Islamic Senior Secondary School, Kamalo Karineh District, student identity card purported it was the identity card of the winner of the Afrimoney Ramadan, Idriss Kamara, knowing the same to be false.
It’s alleged in count three that the accused persons on the 21st May, 2021 at Africell Mobile Company Head Office at No. 1 Pivot Street Wilberforce Freetown uttered a certain forged document purported it to be a true and accurate identity card of the winner of the Afrimoney Ramadan DI HUT SHOW 2021, Idrissa Kamara, knowing it to be forged and with intent to defraud.
It’s alleged in count four that Hassan Williams, Saidu Bangura and Ishmael Baimba Fofanah on dates between the 19th May, 2021 and the 21st May, 2021 at the Correctional Service Centre, Brookfield’s in Freetown were trafficking an Africell Mobile Company sim card No. +23299915296 to remand prisoners Joseph Foday Kabia AKA Manager and Rashid Kamara at the Male Correction Reintegration Center (Special Court)
Testifying in court the First Police Witness (PW1) a police Detective 17712 Lahun M. who is attached at the Economic Financial Unit at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headquarter said he recognized the accused persons and he knew the complainant in the matter Abdul Aziz Kamara.
The Witness said he was on duty on the 22nd May, 2021 when a transferred file of conspiracy to defraud, forgery, uttering and trafficking was given to him from the Lumley Police Station. He said the matter was allocated to him, and together with Detective Police Constable 19500 Komeh A. and Detective 9951 Kaikai D.
He said the file contained three suspect (1, 2 & 3 accused persons), voluntarily caution statements for 1st,2nd &3rd accused persons, two mobile phone (Techno touch and AG Tell manual phone) containing two Sims one Orange sim and one Africell sim with registration number +23299915296. Witness said they perused the file that brought to the arrest of the fourth accused person. He said Detective Police Constable 19500 Komeh A. cautioned and questioned the accused persons in Krio and recorded in English after which the statement was read to the accused persons.
Detective 17712 Lahun M. said on the 29th May, 2021 they charged all of the accused persons and they were separately charged for conspiracy and the first and second accused persons were also charged for forgery.
Under cross examination, defense Lawyer Campbell asked who proffered the charges for the 1st, 2nd &3rd accused person.
Witness said it was Detective 9951 Kaikai D.
Defense counsel asked him if he knows that you and Detective 9951 Kaikai D are not in the legal department to charge.
Witness said yes. Defense asked him if it was for forgery and uttering that he charged the first accused person. He said yes. Defense asked him to quote the specific section. Witness said he can’t recall. Defense counsel asked him if his investigation don’t reveal that the fourth accused person gave a particular sim card to another person.
Witness said he gave the sim as it was alleged that the fourth accused person handed the sim to the second accused person.
Defense counsel asked if he took the matter to the Cyber department of the Sierra Leone Police. Witness said he did not go with the matter to the Cyber department. When defense counsel Sahid Sesay asked the witness if he did not take the statement of the second accused person.
Witness said yes my lord. Defense counsel asked him if he knew the circumstance under which the statement was obtained. He said yes my lord. Defense counsel asked him if he knew how many police officers were present for the investigation. He said no my lord. Defense counsel asked the witness whether the interview was done in a cell or an office. He said it was in an office.
Defense counsel asked him if he knows the office at Lumley Police station.
He said yes at the CID office at Lumley Police station.
Defense counsel asked if he don’t know. He said yes. Lawyer Sesay renewed application for bail and the application was granted in the sum of fifteen million Leones with two sureties each for all accused persons.
The State prosecutor is Sergeant 8998 Taylor M.K. while Lawyer Sahid Sesay is representing the second accused person and Lawyer Campbell is representing the first, third and fourth accused persons. The matter has been adjourned to the 14th June, 2021.