By: Audrey Raymonda John
Three airport workers Johannese Tarawallie, Ibrahim Kamara, and Emmanuel John Bundu appeared in court on Monday, 21 October 2025, before Magistrate John Manso Fornah of Pademba Road Court No. 2. They are facing charges related to drug trafficking, aiding and abetting, and possession of illegal substances at the Freetown International Airport, located in Lungi.
The three defendants were arraigned on five counts, including possession of prohibited drugs without lawful authority, aiding and attempting to commit an offense (trafficking), and larceny. These charges are brought under Section 8(a) of the National Drug Control Act of 2008 (Act No. 10 of 2008) and Section 2 of the Larceny Act of 1916.
The indictment alleges that the first and second defendants, Johannese Tarawallie and Ibrahim Kamara, were involved in the possession, aiding, and trafficking of cocaine on Sunday, 7 September 2025, at Freetown International Airport, Lungi, Kaffu Bullom Chiefdom, Port Loko District, Northern Province, Sierra Leone. The charges state they did so without lawful authority.
Additionally, the third defendant, Emmanuel John Bundu, is accused of stealing a mobile phone and two wristwatches from passengers’ luggage aboard an aircraft on the same date and location.
After the charges were read and explained to the defendants, no plea was taken by Johannese Tarawallie and Ibrahim Kamara, as the offenses of possessing prohibited drugs are non-bailable under the new Act of 2024. However, Emmanuel John Bundu pleaded not guilty to the charge of larceny, which, under the new Act, is a bailable offense.
Lead prosecutor Tommy Zizer requested an adjournment, citing the absence of witnesses in court. He assured the court that the witnesses would be present on the next adjourned date.
Counsels representing the first and second defendants, A.B. Kamara and M.Y. Conteh, did not object to the prosecution’s request for an adjournment and did not make a bail application.
- Conteh, counsel for the third defendant Emmanuel John Bundu, applied for bail on his client’s behalf. He argued that Bundu is a Sierra Leonean citizen with a fixed address abroad, and assured the court that his client would not interfere with the prosecution’s witnesses or flee the jurisdiction. Conteh also stated that Bundu had reliable sureties willing to stand for him.
The application for bail was made in accordance with Section 76(1), paragraph C, of the Criminal Procedure Act of 2024.
Magistrate John Manso Fornah, however, did not grant bail and remanded all three defendants at the Male Correctional Facility until 24 October 2025, when the matter will return to court for further proceedings.