By: Audrey Raymonda John
Two Portuguese nationals 41-year-old electrician Sana Sidi, of 9 Estrada Meletor, Portugal, and 34-year-old mason Samba Blade, originally from Guinea-Bissau but residing in Lisbon have been committed to the High Court for trial on drug-related charges involving 16 pellets of cocaine.
Magistrate Mustapha Brima Jah, presiding at the Preliminary Court, ruled that sufficient evidence had been presented by the prosecution to warrant the case proceeding to the High Court for full trial.
The accused are facing two counts: Possession of Prohibited Drugs Without Lawful Authority, contrary to Section 8(a) of the National Drug Control Act, 2008 (Act No. 10 of 2008), Transportation of Prohibited Drugs Without Lawful Authority, contrary to Section 7(b) of the same Act.
On September 29, 2024, at the Freetown International Airport, Lungi, in the Port Loko District, the two accused were allegedly found in possession of 16 compressed pellets of a substance suspected to be cocaine, concealed in two boxes, each containing eight parcels.
On September 30, 2024, the suspects were brought before law enforcement for further investigation. The second prosecution witness, Sergeant 9585 Prince Jabati of the Transnational Organized Crime Unit (TOCU), testified that he received the arrest file and exhibits for processing. He confirmed that the substances were safely secured and forwarded for forensic analysis.
The court was informed that both accused persons do not understand English, and therefore an interpreter, Umaru Bah, was provided to assist throughout the proceedings.
During police interviews, both suspects confessed to the charges. Their caution statements were recorded with interpretation in Fullah, and both fixed their right-hand thumbprints to confirm their admissions.
The suspects’ charge statements were tendered in court and marked as Exhibits L1–3 and M1–3 respectively.
Sergeant Jabati stated that written requests were sent to the Florenzinc Analyst for chemical analysis of the seized substances. The results confirmed the presence of cocaine, and these findings were submitted to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for legal advice.
On October 7, 2024, the DPP issued an official recommendation to proceed with formal charges. This legal advice was presented in court and marked as Exhibit K.
Defense counsel MY Kanu informed the court that the defense team reserved their right to respond to the allegations at the High Court and would not be entering a substantive defense during preliminary proceedings.
Magistrate M.B. Jah, satisfied with the evidence provided by the prosecution, formally committed the matter to the High Court, where the accused will face trial for the offences.