By: Audrey Raymonda John
Police Officer Mohamed Jusu has on Thursday 7th September 2023, tendered in court three mobile phones belonging to ex- military men that are standing trial before magistrate Mark Ngegba for operating a private security service without license.
The accused persons Rtd Captain Sam Milton Bangura, Morlai Bai Shebura Kamara, Rtd Major Alimamy O Kamara, Saccoh Kamara and Rtd Major Mathew Sorie Kamara were arraigned on two counts charges of conspiracy to commit a felony and operating a private security service without valid license.
According to the charge on count one, the accused persons on Wednesday 7th June 2023, at Ferry Terminal Kissy Freetown conspired together with other person’s unknown to commit a crime to wit operating a private security service without license. Whiles counts two added that the accused persons on the same dates and place were found operating a private security service by the name of Expandable without valid license.
The witness led in further evidence by Chief Superintendent of police Juan Bull said he is attached to the systems and data Cyber lab CID HQ Pademba road Freetown.
He said some of his duties includes, analyzing all digital evidence brought for examination, extracting of electronic evidence and do report on the findings and observation.
On the 10th June 2023, he said was on duty at Cyber lab, when he received 3mobole phone from detective superintendent of police Alusine Dumbuya for forensic analysis and report.
”I received a request dated 10 June 2023, and upon receipt of the request and the 3 phones I did a physical examination on all three phones, the two were in good working order whiles the other was not working well”, the witness said.
He said 1 itel mobile phone and two pop mobile phones.
He said in order to get the subscriber number of the sim car, he did a command *98# and the sim number for both Africell and Orange appeared on the phone and for the the Qcell he did a command *#160 and the sim displayed.
He underscored that for him to get the International Mobile Equipment (IME) number he did a command *#06# and a unique 16 digit number appeared on the phone and later examine the social media number in the phone(WhatsApp number) and that a particular WhatsApp group called Expandable was in all the phones.
He said he critically looked at all the WhatsApp messages and listened to some, adding that he screenshot all the messages that has evidential valued.
Noting that he extracted all the audios and messages on the phones and sent them on the computer by using the universal cord and later sent them to a flash drive
At the conclusion, he said he reduced his observation and findings into a report.
Defense lawyer Joseph Fizgerald Kamara objected to the tendering of the document on the grounds that the witness said it was transcribed into a flash drive which is not before the court.
The prosecutor JMS Bull in reply said the defense can’t tell them how to conduct their case, noting that the witness is an expert one and fit to produce same.
Defense lawyer Kamara said there is no evidence before the court to show that the witness is an expert he has to be credentialized.
The report was produced and tendered as exhibits N 1 to 6.
The witness in continuation of his evidence said he also printed evidential material retrieved from one of the phones.
The three phones were produced and tendered respectively marked as exhibits O 1-3.
At this stage the prosecution requested an adjournment for them to display the audio messages that was transcribed on the flash drive in court.
Magistrate Ngegba remanded the accused persons in prison and the matter adjourned to the 11th September 2023.
