By: Audrey Raymonda John
37 years old William Sawyer former Constable of the Sierra Leone Police made another appearance before Magistrate Mark Ngegba of Pademba road court No.1 in Freetown on a count of Unlawful Possession Of Kush contrary to section 8 (a) of the National Drugs control Act, 2008, Act No.10 of 2008.
According to the particulars of offence on Tuesday 22nd August 2023 at New Camp Grafton Village the Waterloo judicial district the western area in Freetown were found in possession of seventy two wraps of Kush weighing 125.5 grams, without lawful authority.
The charge was read and explained to the accused person on his first appearance and no plea taken.
Assistant Superintendent of police Delia Wellington led second Prosecution witness Sergeant 13829 Peter S Bangura attached to the transnational organized crime unit TOCU.
The witness said while on duty a case and inquiry files was transfered from Ross Road Police Station together with the accused person along with seventy Wraps of Kush, accused statement and a physical cash of three hundred and seventy nine Leones.
The witness said, himself and Sergeant Kanu L further interviewed and questioned the accused person in Krio language which was recorded in English. The said statement was produced and tendered to form part of the court records. He continued that on the 26th August 2023 he and Sergeant 2310 Kanu L finally charged the accused person with the offence of unlawful possession of Kush. The charged statement of accused person was produced and tendered in court to form part of the court records.
Counsel representing the accused person Abdul Rahman Kargbo Esq during his cross examination tested the evidence of the witness by putting his questions to him; can he tell the court what was in the inquiry files that was handed over to him; the witness said it was the statement of the accused person, do you know what was in the analyzed records? The witness said it was Kush. He asked again did you know what is Kush?, the witness said no, I will be correct to say that you didn’t add any other additional statement from the transfer file; the witness said No! Did you visit the alleged scene of crime? The witness said No!
At this point, the defence counsel renewed his previous Bail applications on behalf of the accused person.
Meanwhile, Magistrate Ngegba refused bail and adjourned the matter to the 14th September 2023.
