By: Audrey Raymonda John
A 33-year-old student, Mohamed Kabia, made another appearance before Magistrate John Manso Fornah of Pademba Road Court No. 2 in Freetown, charged with cyberbullying, contrary to Section 44(1)(b) of the *Cyber Security and Crime Act of 2021.
According to the charge, on 13th January 2025, in Freetown, the accused used the phone number +23277862052 with the WhatsApp username “MAGBOKEH BORBOR” to publish and circulate bullying and defamatory messages via social media. The messages, allegedly sent through a computer system or network, were directed at Robert Saila Kamara, a manager at Leone Rock Metal Group, and were said to have the potential to affect his physical and emotional well-being.
When the charge was read and explained to the accused, no plea was taken.
The prosecution, led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Sorie Conteh, called the first witness, Robert Saila Kamara, who is the complainant and current manager at Leone Rock Metal Group. He testified that he knows the accused personally, as they had once lived in the same house.
Kamara recalled that on 13th January 2025, while serving in Tonkolili District as an SLPP District Secretary, he was informed by party members including Mariama Jalloh, Mohamed C. Conteh (alias Tinka), and others that a defamatory message about him had been posted on a WhatsApp group.
Since Kamara was not a member of the group where the post appeared, he instructed his colleagues to take screenshots and forward them to him. According to Kamara, the post which was allegedly made by Kabia claimed that he had been suspended from his job due to criminal activities. He added that the accused’s best friend had done something similar to him the previous year, but he had been persuaded to forgive him at that time.
Kamara said he printed the defamatory messages from his Android phone, which was produced and tendered in court and marked as Exhibit Z. He later reported the matter to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at Pademba Road in Freetown.
The witness told the court that the defamatory messages were posted in multiple WhatsApp groups, including: Constituency New Direction Group, Vision State House Group and Radical Inclusion Group
He claimed that the accused used his photo and labeled him a thief in these groups. Kamara also stated that he was suspended from his job as a result of the circulation of these defamatory messages.
The accused was later arrested on a warrant and made a statement to the police.
Given the seriousness of the offense, Magistrate Fornah refused bail for the accused and adjourned the matter to 17th June 2025 for further hearing.