By: Hafsatu Z Bangura
In a cross examination question done by the Defense Counsel for the fourth accused person Dr Samura Kamara, the Fourth Prosecution Witness Mr John Sumaila has evidently stated he has no factual knowledge of the issues of which Dr Samura Kamara and 5 others were standing trial for said the witness to the court on the 23rd May 2022 at the High Court no.1 in Freetown presided over by Justice Adrian Fisher.
Fourth Prosecution Witness Mr John Sumaila said he is the Secretary to the Cabinet and current head of the Civil Service, he assumed office on the 4th of June in 2018. He said before attaining the position he joined the Sierra Leone Civil Service as a teenager in 1976 and was appointed as a temporary clerk.
The Prosecution Witness listed his responsibilities as Secretary to the Cabinet whereas he said he is involved in Administrative and Secretariat Services to the cabinet from meetings and participated in Cabinet Strategic Leadership and also gives supervision to MDA’s.
C T Matsebo Esq in his cross examination to the witness asked if as a cabinet Secretariat if they interact with the Ministers and he said as Cabinet Secretariat they interact with Ministers on a daily basis and also at the Cabinet they receive Cabinet Memorandums from Ministries in Soft Copy and the Hard Copy signed by the Minister on receipt of the Submission of cabinet review that they review the draft Cabinet Memorandums in line with the review guidelines to ensure it meets the format of a Cabinet Proposal.
He furthermore said it is during this process they received feedback from the MDA’s concerned until the draft memorandum is finalized with the affix electronic signature of the Minister
The witness Mr John Sumaila agreed to the exhibit of AC1-5 of an electronic signature of the 4th accused person and exhibit AC1-5 and Exhibit AAF1-35 the meeting of the sixth cabinet meeting dated 20th April 2016 that it was the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation that presented the cabinet memorandum to Cabinet.
C T Matsebo Esq continued his cross examination with the witness Mr John Sumaila decisions are dispatched to the Ministries and another to the permanent secretary and that if the substantive Minister is absent the President will assign another Minister to occupy the position.
He was given Exhibit AC1-5 a document which he said that was retrieved from the Archives upon the request of Anti-Corruption Commission for investigation that is a cabinet memorandum of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation dated 18th April 2016 and a scan affixed signature that he said he does not recognize the signature as he said he was not present at the time.
He said the name on the signature was of the 4th accused person Dr Samura Kamara the then Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
The witness was also asked to identify Exhibit AC2 1-4 which he said is an annexation of a correspondence addressed to the 1st accused Saidu Nyallo councillor to the United Nations as the correspondence he said was from Fair Field Construction Company dated 4th January 2016.
Exhibit AAE 1-3 a typical Cabinet Agenda that was identified by the witness as he said was the 6th meeting of Cabinet dated 18th April 2016.
He was also asked to identify Exhibit AD1-2 which also he said was an extract to Cabinet Conclusion and Exhibit AAF1-31 is the minutes of the 16th meeting of Cabinet held at State house dated 20th April 2916.
In his cross examination question by state prosecutor CT Matsebo of an exhibit given to him to identify as he listed the names of Ministers that were involved in these cabinet meetings were the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation who was not the 4th accused person Dr Samura Kamara, M.N Kargbo Minister of Finance and Economic Development, JF Kamara the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, the then Acting Minister of Rural Development Mr I Kalokoh.
Defense Counsel for the 1st accused person AK Kamara Esq in his cross examination inquired of the witness of the interpretation of a Cabinet decision for calcification purposes and the witness replied him that a Cabinet decision is an Ultimate agreement reached at the end of deliberations.
He also inquired of the witness if he was aware of monies remitted after Cabinet decisions but the witness said he has no idea of such.
Justice Adrian Fisher in court said to the speeding of the trial that the month of August extensive trials will be conducted and advised both counsels to be prepared for it.
The matter has been adjourned to the 6th June 2022 for 5th Prosecution Witness to testify.
