By: Audrey Raymonda John
Ten staff members have been remanded at the Male Correctional Centre in Freetown by Magistrate Mustapha Brima Jah of Pademba Road Court No. 1 after they appeared before the court on five counts of alleged offences, including conspiracy to commit larceny, larceny, forgery, uttering forged documents, and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
The accused persons are Abu Bakarr Kabba Mansaray, Ibrahim Ahmed Kargbo, Ibrahim Bangura, Benito Conteh, Mohamed Amara Kamara, Alhassan Kamara, Jacob Gbaya, Mohamed Sahr Tommy, Chernor Amadu Sesay, and Abu Mansaray.
According to the particulars of the offence, between 1st and 22nd May 2026 at the Queen Elizabeth II Quay, Cline Town, Freetown, the accused persons allegedly conspired with other persons unknown to steal a shipping container bearing serial number TLLU-2297785 and its contents.
The container was said to have been in the lawful possession and control of the Sierra Leone Ports and Harbours Authority (SLPHA) after being detained in connection with an ongoing criminal investigation by the Sierra Leone Police.
The second count alleged that on 13th May 2026, at the same location, the accused persons stole the said shipping container and its contents with the intention of permanently depriving the Sierra Leone Ports and Harbours Authority of its lawful possession and control.
The third count further alleged that on 15th May 2026, the ninth accused person, with intent to defraud, forged a staff identity card purportedly issued by Akim and Satu Clearing and Forwarding Agency. The document was allegedly intended to be used as a genuine identification card to facilitate the unlawful removal of the detained container.
The fourth count stated that the ninth accused person knowingly and fraudulently uttered the alleged forged staff identity card as genuine, with the intention of deceiving officers of the Sierra Leone Ports and Harbours Authority and facilitating the removal of the container and its contents.
The fifth count alleged that all the accused persons conspired with other persons unknown to pervert the course of justice by allegedly concealing and suppressing material evidence, tampering with CCTV footage, and procuring and using forged documents to facilitate the unlawful removal of the container.
When the charges were read and explained to the accused persons, no plea was taken, as the matter is before the court as a committal proceeding.
State Prosecutor Yusuf Isaac Sesay Esq. informed the court that he had received instructions to take over the matter and had only gained access to the case file shortly before the sitting. He therefore applied for a short adjournment within fourteen days pursuant to Section 112(2) of the relevant law before the date of committal.
He further told the court that all accused persons were legally represented and that copies of the case and inquiry file had been served on their respective counsels.
Defence counsels Brima Koroma Esq., Maddieu Sesay Esq., and Jessica M. Jengo Esq. applied for bail on behalf of the accused persons. They argued that the accused are Sierra Leonean citizens residing within the jurisdiction, have reliable sureties willing to enter recognizance on their behalf, and would not interfere with prosecution witnesses.
The bail application was made pursuant to Section 76(1)(c) of the Criminal Procedure Act, 2024, and Section 23(4) of the Bail Regulations, 2018.
However, Magistrate Mustapha Brima Jah refused the bail application, citing the seriousness of the alleged offences.
The matter has been adjourned to 21st July 2026.