May 4, 2021
By: Francis F.M.Harding
For the first time Desmond Sylvanus Leigh (accused person) appeared before Magistrate Mark Ngegba of Freetown court No.1 at the Pademba Road Court on the 29th April, 2021. The accused person (Desmond Sylvanus Leigh) was caught with the rank of Inspector in full Sierra Leone Police Uniform without lawful authority at the Gbangbatok Police Station, Gbangbatok Town, in the Lower Banta Chiefdom in the Moyamba District.
The accused person was charged on 8 counts charges ranging from Forgery with intent to Defraud. According to the charged sheets, the accused person is charged with forgery with intent to defraud, Altering Forged Document, Impersonation, Unlawful Possession, etc. contrary to the Laws of Sierra Leone.
It’s alleged on count one and two that the accused person on the 25th & 26th October, 2020 at the Rutile Police Station Division, allegedly commit forgery with intent to defraud.
On counts three and four, the accused person was caught with intent to defraud, altered certain document to wit one Sierra Leone Police transfer memorandum knowing it to have been forged.
On count five and six that the accused on the 25th & 26th October, 2020 at the Rutile Police Station Division, under that assumed character, was found dressed in the rank of an Inspector, in full Sierra Leone Police Uniform, without lawful authority.
On count seven and eight that on the 25th & 26th October, 2020 at the Rutile Police Station Division was found in possession of three military fatigue uniform suspected to have been unlawfully obtained as a property of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces.
Police Witness (PW1) Detectable S.O.Williams who is attached at the Rutile Police Station Division has testified before Magistrate Mark Ngegba on the 29th April, 2021. The witness said he recognized the accused person. The witness said he was on duty at the Rutile Operational Office when he heard loud voices at his place of work and he went to see what was happening. The witness said upon his arrival at the scene he heard the accused person saying “I am a police officer, while the Support Officer and other officers were disputing the fact that the accused person was not a police officer.”
The witness added that he tried to cajole the accused person to speak the truth, but he was still firm on his statement that he is an Inspector of the Sierra Leone Police. The witness further enquired from the accused person where did he train as a police officer? He is said have replied that was trained at the Hastings Police Training School, and his training instructor was Inspector Fayia Sellu. He was further questioned about his memo of transfer to Rutile, the accused person produced it also, and said it was purportedly signed by AIG Gbonnoh.
On the contrary, the witness looked at all memos and noticed that all were fake, and bearing numbers that were equally fake.
The witness again noticed that the uniform he wore was having identification numbers as inspector. The accused was transferred to Gbangbatok Police Station as crime officer, but document was also a fake one. The witness said he later gave instruction to detain the accused person. The matter was investigated and subsequently charged to court.
The prosecutor for the case was J.M.S Bull while the accused person was not represented by Lawyer. The matter was adjourned to the 11th May, 2021.