December 6, 2021
By Audrey John
The eighth prosecution witness, Detective Police Constable, 9268 Joseph Jay Collins attached to Major Incident Unit at the Criminal Investigation Department has on Friday testified against Nabieu Unisa Raymond Bangura, Hon Saidu Emmanuel Conteh who were involve in an alleged Arms and Ammunitions case.
Led in his examination in chief by State counsel Yusifu I. Sesay, the witness said he recognized the accused persons in the dock.
He said he recalled on the 2nd July 2021, while he was on duty at the said station, a case of illegal importation of Arms and Ammunition was reported against the three accused persons.
He added that on the same day exhibits comprising seven assorted pistols, twelve empty magazines and hundred live round ammunitions were handed over to the investigating team.
The witness further said the items were later handed over to the exhibit clerk for safe keeping, adding that a team comprising other personnel from various unit within CID headquarter were charged to investigate the matter.
He continued that during the cause of the investigation statements were obtained from witnesses including the Head of Small Arms Commission in Sierra Leone, he added that a request for ballistic examination of the exhibits was submitted to the head of ballistic unit at CID headquarter which was done in a written form.
The police investigator said the request was endorsed and signed by the deputy head of CID. He said the request was produce and tendered in court to form part of the evidence.
He continued that ballistic examination was conducted on those exhibits and the findings were reduced into a report which was subsequently handed over to the investigating team. He said the mobile phones retrieved from the accused persons were handed over to the Cyber Unit together with a written request for analysis.
He narrated that the Cyber Unit subsequently submitted to them a report based on their findings they received from the mobile phones.
At this juncture, the prosecutor sought the leave of the Bench for an adjourned date for the mobiles phones retrieved from the accused persons.
However, Magistrate Sahr Kekura of Pademba Road Court No.1 adjourned the matter to Monday 6th December 2021.