By: Audrey Raymonda John
Abraham Lesford, a community headman residing in Cline Town, has been committed to the High Court for trial after being found in possession of the banned substance ‘kush’ without lawful authority.
The committal was made by Principal Magistrate Mustapha Brima Jah of the Freetown Magistrate Court No. 1 following a preliminary investigation into the case.
The accused, Abraham Lesford, was charged with one count of possession of prohibited drugs without lawful authority, contrary to Section 8(a) of the National Drugs Control Act of 2008.
According to the indictment, on Friday, October 4, 2024, Lesford was allegedly found in possession of a quantity of ‘kush’ at Cline Town in Freetown.
Magistrate Jah stated that the state prosecutor, Abubakarr Nat Taylor Kamara, called four witnesses, whose testimonies corroborated each other and supported the prosecution’s case.
The accused was given the opportunity to cross-examine the witnesses during the proceedings.
Magistrate Jah, after reviewing the evidence, said he was satisfied that the prosecution had presented sufficient evidence to warrant a full trial at the High Court.
When asked whether he wished to testify during the upcoming trial, Lesford responded in the affirmative. He further informed the court that he intends to change the statement he made to the police, claiming he had been tortured and was unwell at the time it was recorded.
He also expressed his desire to testify in his own defense and to call witnesses at the High Court.
Following the preliminary findings, Magistrate Mustapha Brima Jah formally committed the case to the High Court for trial. A date for the High Court hearing is expected to be announced in due course.