By: Hafsatu Z. Bangura
Sonia Umu Karim third prosecution witness continued her testimony in the ongoing matter of the State Versus Dr. Samura Kamara and five others at the high Court no.1 in Freetown presided over by Justice Adrian Fisher.
The prosecution witness in her testimony has cleared the 4th accused name Dr. Samura Matthew Wilson Kamara was not the Acting Minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation when she was examined by the defense counsel for the 4th accused Melron Nicol-Wilson Esq who adopted the cross examination of Pa Momoh-Fofanah Esq.
During the last prosecution cross examination by prosecuting counsel C.T Matsebo Esq that brought about a lot of objections from all defense counsels on the tendering of a falsified document.
Prosecution Witness and was ordered by the judge to bring along the original copies of the documents which according to the Prosecution Witness she replied that they did a thorough search but unable to find the original document from the cabinet archives hereby unable to the tendering of the original document as to the judge’s instructions.
Prosecuting Counsel C.T Matsebo Esq due to the unavailability of the original documents asked of the judge of not intending to pursue any cross examination in relation to the document that the bench requested in the last adjourns date hereby abandoning the issue of the original document.
The Judge Justice Adrian Fisher enquired of the witness Sonia Karimu if indeed a thorough search was conducted for the original document which she replied him that indeed a search was conducted but proved to be fruitless as the document was never found.
CT Matsebo Esq continued his cross examination with the Prosecution Witness on the tendering of Exhibit AC1-5 a photocopy of cabinet proposal submitted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation dated 18th April 2016 and signed by the 4th accused Dr. Samura Kamara and received a copy of it from the Ministry with an attachment to it she said.
She continued that in receiving proposals from the Ministry they receive attachments to the proposal in relation to the subject matter they receive an extract that has been in the custody of the Cabinet Secretariat.
The document was shown to all defense counsels respectively for all accused persons and objected not to it.
Exhibit AC21-4 with the same attachment to that if AC1-4 and no objection from the defense counsels was made.
Defense Counsel for the 1st accused in his cross examination with the Prosecution Witness requested of Exhibit HB1-12 pages 12 a d 14 as that of Exhibit H1-25 a letter or minutes that was signed by the witness and pages 13-14 a minutes also signed by the witness that has a connection with pages 12, 13 and 14in the said Exhibit.
Exhibit H12 is a letter sent out on the 1st September 2016 from the Cabinet Secretariat to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation requesting for an update on Cabinet decisions and exhibit H13 is an extract if Cabinet decisions sent out the witness responded.
Exhibit AAF1-31 the Minutes of the Sixth Meeting of Cabinet pages 18-20 of the Minutes paper titled Status of Cabinet in relation to government property in Addis Ababa Ethiopia a decision approved by Cabinet on the sixth meeting as the minutes paper H12, 13 and 14 is an extract of the minutes paper to that of AAF1-31 M P Fofanah Esq enquired of the witness.
M. P Fofanah Esq in his cross examination in relation to Exhibit HB13 and 14 enquired from the witness on the summary of proposal in the minutes opening paragraph of Summary of proposal stated Noted the request of the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation that Cabinet approve the following to support the refurbishment and reconstruction work of the government of Sierra Leone in Addis Ababa the witness said yes.
His question to the Prosecution Witness if that by the words noted if these requests had been to parliament or Cabinet before and the witness said yes it had before.
He continued that the first issue in the meeting is reputable between the Government of Sierra Leone and Fair Field Construction Company Associates in respect of the Completion of the rehabilitation of the chancery building in New York that discussed negotiations between the Government and Fair Field Construction Company and the Prosecution Witness Sonia Umu Karim said yes.
He furthermore in his cross examination to the witness sad that the negotiations between the Government of Sierra Leone and Fair Field Construction Company was to be done with the following persons The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the National Public Procurement Authority representatives, Ministry of Works, Housing and Construction and the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice and a representative of the Chief of Staff all of whom were involved in the negotiations and she said yes.
He also continued his cross examination with witness asking her if she was aware that before the meeting the Ministry of Works, Housing and Infrastructure had given its approval to the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the New York Chancery Building before the Cabinet Meeting, a concurrence on a draft Cabinet memo and she responded with a yes as she said the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Sheku B Samai conveyed it concurrence to the Submission of the proposal to Cabinet of Status in relation to government property in Addis Ababa.
Defense Counsel for the 1st accused M P Fofanah adopted the same cross examination for Counsel for the 3rd accused.
Defense Counsel for the 4th accused person Melron Nicol Esq in his cross examination requested of the witness of an exhibit copy of the heading of summary proposal by the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation was not the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation the witness cleared the 4th accused name.
He concluded in asking the witness that matters rejected in Cabinet were never included in Cabinet Conclusion.
Defense Counsel for the 5th accused also adopted the cross examination of both defense counsels for the 1st and 4th accused persons respectively
The matter has been adjourned to Monday 23rd May 2022 for further hearing of the 4th Prosecution Witness.
