By: Audrey Raymonda John
A high-profile drug case involving the illegal production and distribution of “kush” has captured public attention in Freetown. Four individuals appeared before Principal Magistrate Mustapha Briama Jah at Pademba Road Court No. 1, facing a total of 13 charges related to drug manufacturing and trafficking.
The accused Andrew Momoh Jah (bike rider), Daniel Kamara (laborer), Zainab Kamara (businesswoman), and Thomas Leigh Koroma (unemployed)—were charged following a police raid on November 20, 2024, at No. 66 Kanu Drive, Temne Town, Allen Town. Authorities allege the group was unlawfully manufacturing kush at the premises.
The charges include manufacturing and distributing prohibited drugs, transporting and collecting substances for drug production, as well as possession and sale of illegal drugs.
On Wednesday, June 11, 2025, lead prosecutor Idrissa A. Kamara applied for the case to be committed to the High Court, citing substantial evidence presented by the prosecution’s fifth witness (PW5), a police exhibit clerk attached to the Transnational Organized Crime Unit at Robambam.
Kamara stated that the evidence includes 33 exhibits, among them three vehicles a Toyota RAV4, a black Jeep, and a grey Jeep a motorcycle, a generator, and cash amounting to 867,000 new Leones (approximately \$200 USD).
He argued that the weight and volume of evidence warrant a preliminary investigation at the High Court.
The prosecution also presented testimonies from four witnesses, including Sub-Inspector Kargbo (PW1), who led the search of the accused’s residence following an explosion there. The blast reportedly affected nearby Baptist Junior Secondary School, alarming community leaders and prompting police intervention.
Forensic evidence was provided by PW2, Saffie Amara, who introduced exhibits labeled P1-3 and P4.
Kamara based his application on Section 23, Subsection 1 of the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone, asserting that sufficient evidence had been presented to justify committal to the High Court.
However, defense counsel M.S. Bangura objected to the application, arguing that there is no legal requirement preventing the evidence from being tested in Magistrate Court before proceeding to a higher court. He described the prosecution’s application as speculative and premature, insisting that the evidence should first be examined in the current court.
Magistrate Mustapha Briama Jah remanded all four accused in custody and adjourned the matter to June 13, 2025, for ruling on the committal application.