By: Audrey Raymonda John
Four men have been remanded in custody after making their first appearance before Magistrate Mustapha Briama Jah of Pademba Road Court No. 1 in Freetown on a 61-count indictment involving alleged fraud, forgery, uttering forged documents and the unauthorized printing of vehicle registration documents and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) stickers at the Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority (SLRSA).
The accused are 29-year-old Mustapha Rogers, 29-year-old Simeon Vibbie, a clearing and forwarding broker; 26-year-old Foday Jayah, an IT specialist; and 32-year-old Sahid Ahmed Sesay, a licence agent employed by the SLRSA.
They are jointly and severally facing charges of conspiracy to defraud contrary to law, 14 counts of uttering forged documents contrary to Section 6(1) of the Forgery Act 1913, 15 counts of printing licences without authority contrary to Section 98(a) of the Road Traffic Act 2007 (Act No. 5 of 2007), 14 counts of forgery of licences contrary to Section 98(a) of the same Act, and 16 counts of forgery contrary to Section 4(1) of the Forgery Act 1913.
Particulars of the Alleged Offences
According to the particulars of offence, on Tuesday, 22 September 2026, at the SLRSA Head Office on Kissy Road in Freetown, the defendants allegedly conspired with other persons unknown to defraud the Authority.
The prosecution alleged that Mustapha Rogers and Simeon Vibbie forged, uttered and printed several Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) stickers without lawful authority.
Among the items cited in the charges were RFID stickers bearing serial numbers 252022235 and 242049145, which were allegedly forged to make them appear as though they had been prepared and issued by the Director of Licences at the SLRSA.
The two defendants were further accused of knowingly uttering the forged RFID stickers and printing them without lawful authority.
In a separate allegation, Mustapha Rogers and Foday Jayah were jointly charged with forging, uttering and printing a Vehicle Registration Card bearing registration number AZT-760 without lawful authority.
Meanwhile, Sahid Ahmed Sesay faces several counts relating to the alleged forgery, uttering and unauthorized printing of RFID stickers bearing various serial numbers and vehicle registration details.
The prosecution alleged that the offences involving Sesay occurred between Monday, 2 December 2024, and Tuesday, 29 September 2026, at the SLRSA Head Office on Kissy Road, Freetown.
The RFID stickers referenced in the charges include those associated with vehicle registration numbers AWC-467 and ASP-799, as well as serial numbers 242067626, 252013800, 242169588, 242169565 and 242173420.
The prosecution further alleged that the documents were forged to give the impression that they had been lawfully prepared and issued by the Director of Licences at the SLRSA.
Court Proceedings
When the charges were read and explained to the defendants, no plea was taken, as the matter is at the committal proceedings stage.
ASP Delilah Willigton Esq., representing the prosecution, informed the court that copies of the case and inquiry files had been served on the defence.
However, counsel for the first defendant informed the court that only one copy of the documents had been served on the defence team.
The defence lawyers, including C.B. Brownley Esq., H. Conteh Esq., M. Conteh, J.A. Sesay and M.S. Sankoh, subsequently made an application on behalf of the defendants pursuant to Section 76(1)(c) of the Criminal Procedure Act No. 8 of 2024.
Magistrate Jah refused bail, stating that he wanted to hear the evidence in the matter before making a decision on the application.
The matter was adjourned to 4 November 2026 for further proceedings.
All four defendants remain in custody.