By: Audrey John
The Lead ACC Investigator, Joseph Bockarie Noah yesterday again answered to questions posed to him by Defense Counsel, Africanus Sesay on behalf of the second accused Foday Vah fombah Bawoh who was charged with the offence of Conspiracy and other corruption offences together with Dr. Samura Kamara and four others.
In his Cross examination, IRN/BAD/002 documents that was requested by Defense Counsel Africanus Sesay, which was later handed over to him in Court by the Prosecuting Team, the said documents was tendered in the Court as exhibit through the Prosecution witness Joseph Bockarie Noah.
Exhibit B1-52 which was the statement of the second accused, the witness stated that the second accused in that statement explained to the investigators the duty of an Ambassador.
He said the second accused told them that he was representing Sierra Leone in New York and his duty is to attend regular meetings on behalf of the country and there was no other duty assigned to him in handling procurement issues of the Chancery Building in New York.
The second accused also stated that when the contract was signed in 2013 for such renovation, he was not in office.
Exhibit “U” which is the contract document signed for the rehabilitation of the Chancery Building was shown to the witness whom he identified.
Noah said the instructions of the letter in exhibit “U” stated that the Head of Chancery and the Government of Sierra Leone should sign the contract between the Government and the Construction Company.
He said the second accused told him that he never participated in the said contract, as he took over office in 2016.
The witness furthered that in 2015, when the contract was finally signed, it was Alusine Sesay that was the Ambassador then at that time and the Director General for the said Chancery Building was Andrew Gbebay Bangalie.
The witness maintained that the second accused became an Ambassador in March 2016 but went to New York in September 2016.
The witness was shown an email titled “invitation for Bid” and the bid was for the renovation of the Sierra Leone Chancery Building in New York and it was prepared by Alusine Sesay on 21st September 2015 and Defense Counsel Africanus Sesay applied that the said documents been tendered before the Court through the Prosecution witness.
At this point, Calvin Matesbo objected that the said documents should not be tendered by the witness as he has no knowledge of the document.
Justice Fisher ruled that cross examination involved wide ambit and they have pass that stage of preventing the witness to tender documents produced by the defense.
The said document was tendered as exhibit and marked as AS1-4.
At this stage defense counsel sought for a date to have further conference with his client.
Matter has been adjourned to the 17th March, 2022 for further hearing.
