By: Hafsatu Z Bangura
In the May call-over for the May criminal session of the High Court of Sierra Leone has commenced on the 16th May 2022 with the third prosecution witness of the Anti-Corruption Commission in the case of Dr. Samura Matthew Wilson Kamara and 5 others holding at the high court no.2 in Freetown presided over by Justice Adrian Fisher.
The third Prosecution Witness Sonia Umu Karimu Director of Cabinet Affairs at the Cabinet Secretariat said she started working in 2014 and prior to that she was appointed as the public and a graduate Assistant at the Mason University.
She outlined her duties as a cabinet Director that they support cabinet in making evidence informed decision as part of the cabinet secretary specifically supporting Ministries, departments and Agencies credible and visible proposal, prepare the document and distribute to cabinet, schedule cabinet meeting, take minutes in the cabinet, convey decisions to the cabinet after the cabinet meetings and the team of cabinet review the proposal.
Exhibit AC1-5 is a copy of the cabinet memo suited by the Ministry of Affairs and International Corporation dated 16th April 2016 and signed by the 4th accused Dr. Samura Kamara the witness altered.
The witness was asked to identify the 4th accused in the dock which she did.
She was asked by prosecuting counsel of the original document which she responded and said that the original documents are soft copy documents and that they are distributed to the Ministers and also to the Secretariat archives.
Defense counsel on tendering of the copied document objected to the tendering on grounds of the documents by defense counsels of all accused persons.
MP Fofanah Esq objected to the tendering of the copied documents on the grounds that according to the 1st accused in his years of service as a civil servant Ministers always sign using a green Ink pen and that the documents from his instructions are too new to look like a document done in April 2016 six years down the line and adopt the objection raised by Mr. Sorie Sesay that the attachment is new and that the attachment were not in AC1-5 and that an electronic copy of the Signature was made as the characters were not complete and some are clearly missing and implanted.
While the fourth accused defense counsel Franklyn B Kargbo also objected on the grounds of fake signatory and that it’s a totally different document.
The Witness Sonia Karim said she printed the documents from the cabinet secretariat computer and they would conduct a search for the soft copy.
However, Justice Fisher asked the witness to conduct a search for the original documents of the exhibit and to bring it in court on the next adjourned date which she agreed.
Justice Fisher said the documents should be in court before Thursday and adjourned the matter to this week Friday.
In other developments, the May Criminal Session of the high Court of SierraLeone was presided over by Justice Browne Mark of the High Court No.1 in Freetown.
The criminal sessions started with different call overs of criminal cases and its assigned judges specifically.
Accused persons were arraigned before Justice Brown Mark of which some denied the allegations levied on them whilst others pleaded guilty of the offence they were being charged with.
Mohamed Turay was arraigned before Justice Brown Mark on one count of Sexual Penetration as his charges were read to him aloud in court of Sexual penetration of a child
The accused Mohamed Turay according to the particulars of offence on the 20th March 2020 in Freetown sexually penetrated a child below the age of 18 years.
The accused however pleaded not guilty to the offence of Sexual penetration and Justice Brown Mark assigned the case to Justice Manuela Harding.
C. Tucker Esq for the accused applied for bail for the accused but Justice Brown Mark in his words said the accused is entitled to bail but told her to wait at the start of the proceedings to an assigned judge.
A.J.M Bockarie Esq represented the state whilst C Tucker represented the accused person. The matter has been assigned to Justice Manuela Harding for further prosecution.
Mohamed Johnson, Aiah Komba, Kalilu Fofanah, Victor Kellie and Ishmael Charles were also arraigned before Justice Brown Mark on two count charge of Conspiracy to Murder and Murder.
According to the particulars of offence the accused on diverse dates between 19th April-21st April 2021at Femi town District Murder Kai Osman Fengia.
Accused persons pleaded not guilty on both counts. The matter has been adjourned to the 24th May, 2022.
Amadu Barrie appeared before Justice Brown Mark of the high Court No.1 in Freetown of one count charge of Fraudulent Conversion. The accused pleaded not guilty to the Charge.
The accused on the 1st July-30th July 2018 in Freetown fraudulently converted to his own use one TVSM with registration number AKO 675 valued at 9Million Leones property of Alfred Koroma.
A.J.M Bockarie represented the state whilst C Tucker represented the accused.
