By: Audrey Raymonda John
Assistance Commissioner of police Alieu Jalloh has on Monday 6th November 2023, testified before magistrate Mark Ngegba of Court No1 on the ongoing preliminary investigation into the alleged 43 wraps of Cannabis Sativa involving a police recruit Fengai Babonjo.
The accused Fengai Babonjo made his second appearance in court and was arraigned on one count charge of Unlawful Possession of Cannabis Sativa contrary to section 8)a) of the National Drugs Control Act 2008, Act No 10 of 2008.
According to the particulars of offense, the accused on Saturday 30th September 2023, at the Sierra Leone Police Peacekeeping and Law Enforcement Academy Hastings, in the Waterloo judicial district was found in possession of 43 wraps of Cannabis Sativa contained in white paper weighing 20.5 grams, without lawful authority.
The first prosecution witness Alieu Jalloh Assistance Commissioner of police in his testimony led by Sergeant 8975 Bangura I S said he is attached to the Sierra Leone Police Peacekeeping and Law Enforcement Academy Hastings as the commandant.
He recognized the accused as a former recruit of the Sierra Leone police and further recalled Saturday 30th September 2023.
He said on that day, he was doing a routing check at the billets to ensure that the recruits go to their classes after launch, noting that whiles he was doing the check around A 7 billet area, he met the accused person not on his recruit uniform.
He said he was surprised because he was supposed to be in uniform heading for class but was going on the opposite direction, adding that he stop him and asked him to come to him.
” I then held his shirt, whiles holding his shirt, I noticed he was hiding something on his belly, I immediately called the billet captain A 7 Dauda who came along with another recruit John and asked them to arrest the accused which they did”, he said.
The witness said he did on the spot search, adding that during the process they discovered a bag tied around the accused waist and when they open the bag, they saw quantity of white papers containing cannabis sativa.
He said the accused was taken to the guard post and that along the way he caution him in respect of the wraps and he told him that it was Marajuana and that they went to the guard post and did thorough search on him and counted the wraps.
He said there were 43 wraps and one lighter, adding that the matter was transfered to the Trans National Organized Crime Unit (TOCU) together with the accused and exhibit for further investigation.
In conclusion, he said he made statement to the police.
The accused was unrepresented in court and therefore could not cross examined the witness.
Magistrate Ngegba refused bail and remanded the accused in prison and the matter was adjourned to the 20th November 2023.
