By: Audrey Raymonda John
Detective Police Inspector Mohamed Kargbo has on Tuesday 5th September 2023 tendered before Magistrate Mark Ngegba of Court No1 statements obtained from Rtd Captain Sam Milton Bangura and four others.
The accused persons Rtd Captain Sam Milton Bangura, Morlai Bai Shebura Kamara, Rtd Major Alimamy O Kamara, Saccoh Kamara and Rtd Major Mathew Sorie Kamara were arraigned on two counts charges of conspiracy to commit a felony and operation a private security service without license contrary to section 31(8) of the national security and central Intelligence Act 2023.
According to the charge on count one, the accused persons on Wednesday 7th June 2023, at Freetown Ferry Terminal Kissy conspired together with other person’s unknown to commit a crime to wit operating a private security service without license.
Whiles counts two added that all the accused persons on the same date were found operating a private security service by the name of Expandable without valid license.
Led in evidence by Chief Superintendent of police Juan Bull, the second prosecution witness detective Inspector Mohamed Kargbo said he is attached to the CID HQ Pademba road Freetown.
He said he recognized all the accused persons in respect of this matter.
On the 7th June 2023, he said he was on duty at the said office when the first, second, third and fourth accused persons were arrested by a team of security personnel and brought to the station for an alleged case of conspiracy together with some documents.
The said documents were produced and tender in court respectively.
The witness added that on the 12th June 2023, himself together with inspector Kanje, detective sergeant 8709 Kamara I.S and detective sergeant 1818 Comba H A S obtained voluntary caution statement from the first, second and forth accused persons and observed the judges rule.
Statement of the first, second and forth accused persons were tender in court as exhibits respectively.
On the 10th June, himself together with detective police constable 17291 Kallon R B obtained voluntary caution statement from the third accused. The statement was produce and tender marked as exhibits D 1-10.
He said on the 11 July 2023, upon an intelligent received the firth accused was arrested and brought to the CID, adding that on the same date, himself together with detective sergeant 8709 Kamara I S obtained voluntary caution statement from fifth accused.
His statement was also tender mark as exhibit F1-14.
The witness added that on the 17th July 2023, himself together with two other police officers obtained additional caution statement from the fifth accused.
The witness said on 24th July 2023, himself together with detective Sgt 8904 S K Amadu obtained charged statements from all the accused persons respectively and charge them with two counts of conspiracy to commit a felony and operation a private security service without license.
The charged statements of all the accused persons were produce and tender marked respectively to form part of the evidence.
During cross examination by lawyer Joseph Fizgerald Kamara, the witness said he has been a police officer for 6 years now.
The witness also confirms that the first accused persons were arrested with documents with inscription ‘The Expandable’ and coordinators list of the APC.
When it was put to him that the said list is not a threat to the nation, he said yes it is a threat to security and that they are operating a private security service for the main position.
When he was question as to whether he was present when any of the accused persons provided a security service, he said no.
The witness also said that the first accused told him that he was a gold miner at Bendugu but when he was asked to produce his silence he could no. The second he said told him he was a petty trader and the third a business man but did not verified that bit of information.
He also confirmed that the fifth accused told him that he is not a resident in Sierra Leone that he only came to vote.
When he was question as to whether he checked the information that the fifth accused person is working in the US, he said he did not.
He said the accused persons did not tell him where the said security service they are operating is located and that he did not asked them.
Lawyer Kamara put it to the witness that he only charged the accused persons because they were APC supporters, he replied in the negative.
”I did not asked them for their security service licenses and did not asked the ONS whether the group Expandable was license”, the witness stated.
Lawyer Kamara further put it to the witness that all what he did was armchair investigation, and he said no.
‘‘Is being a party agent of the APC or coordinating the affairs of the party an offence by law? Lawyer Kamara asked the witness but the witness said it was not an offence.
The witness said the first, second, third and fourth accused persons were together at Lungi when they were arrested.
The witness admitted that the third accused persons were arrested with APC T-shirt and is with the exhibit clerk at Port Loko division.
The witness said when he visited the residents of all the accused persons nothing of police interest was found.
Lawyer Kamara renewed his application for bail on behalf of the accused persons noting that the bench has heard the evidence of PW 1&2 and that no case has been made against any of the accused persons.
He added that all the accused persons are ex- military men whom have served the country diligently and has been in custody for three month now since June.
Lawyer Kamara added that they are presume innocent until proven guilty and granting them bail does not mean they are innocent.
Magistrate Ngegba refused bail on the grounds that the offences are very serious. The matter was adjourned to the 7th September 2023.