By: Hafsatu Z Bangura
Justice Adrian Fisher of the High Court no.2 presiding over the State Versus Dr. Samura Kamara and five others on the 4th of August made a suggestive declaration in court on the inspection of the New York Chancery Building in New York.
He made this statement before the fact that he said several witnesses contradicted the status of the building.
Eighth Prosecution Witness Dr. Francis Mustapha Kaikai, the current Minister of Planning and Economic Development testified in court in the matter of the state Versus Dr. Samura Kamara and five others.
The witness Dr. Francis Kaikai identified the 1st, 3rd, 4th and 5th accused persons and their designations respectively.
He said his appointment as the current Minister of Planning and Economic Development how was the then Permanent Representative to New York in July 2018 and got his appointment as Minister at the end of July 2022 and served for a period of 1year as the Permanent Representative.
He went on to say that he knew the 4th accused but not in the context of his job at the time he was a Permanent Representative but knew him as the former Minister of Foreign Affairs.
He continued that he was briefed on the status of the chancery building by the head of the chancery that is the 1st accused Mr. Saidu Nyallo at the time he was the Permanent Representative and had a chat with him.
Mr. Kai Kai said he was aware of the slow progress of the disbursements of funds but was not preview to the contract and went on to say that they were challenges and that funds were on a slow transfer.
Narrating his ordeal during the inspection of the New York Chancery building he said he went to New York in August and not with the contractor and had a discussion with him in respect of the building and went on to physically inspect the progress of the building.
Mr. Francis said he was shown around and briefed on the current situation at the time of the building and what was to be done towards the building.
I observed work was ongoing and the whole site was dismantled because it was an old building, and floors were removed down to the basement, progress was made at the time I left as Permanent Representative and upon my recent appointment progress was also made said Dr. Francis Kaikai.
My purpose of the inspection of the site in 2018 was to see work done at the site because this was a government project and by then the first accused was the then head of the Chancery Building project.
Cross examination by Defense Counsel for the 1st accused M.P Fofanah Esq inquired of the witness about the relationship between him and the 1st accused, and he stated that he had no personal relationship with him but just a personal work relationship at the time of his appointment.
In his testimony before the court, he said in 2018 during his visit, observed that the building was dismantled, the first floor was yet to be rehabilitated only the basement.
In 2019, before I left some rehabilitation had taken place on the first floor and the second floor but was not in use Mr. Kai Kai said.
He furthermore stated that discussions with the contractor Jules Sander Davies told him that funds were slow towards the project and intervened in the situation personally sourcing funds for the mission and approached bilateral partners who he said we were interested in providing these funds and promised in making funds available and that before he left, funds were made available.
He also said he was aware of all payments made to his knowledge during his tenure as Permanent Representative and that the Government of China made funds available to the government and the first transaction was the sum of 1 million dollars.
In addition to this, he said the contractor Jules Sander Davies gave an estimation of 3.3Million dollars to be paid for the additional 5th and 6th floors but negotiations were made by himself and the first accused to an amount of One Million Nine Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollars was the amount agreed on and transfers were made when he was about to leave.
Ninth Prosecution Witness Iris Macarthy Assistant Secretary to the Ambassador to the mission identified the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th accused persons.
In her testimony, said she knows the contractor Jules Sander Davies.
She said before her retirement for over 24 years they had to move from the old chancery building in 2015 to the Uganda house at the time she said the first accused was still in service as head of the chancery building.
She stated the reason for the relocation was that the Old Chancery building was in a bad state, the top office over the Ambassador’s office was a toilet leaking through the walls and the whole carpet was flooded in a state that made it difficult for them to work as she said the roof knocked the Ambassador’s office and caved in the reception area.
She went on that when she walked in through the front door and walked in the carpet was wet and was a disappointing site to see.
Mrs. Iris said she and Dr. Alie Kabbah who was the then Permanent Representative both visited the site and found out from their observation that the building had debris, and stairs were not yet fixed, hence she described it as an unfinished construction in 2019 at the time she was the Assistant to the Permanent Representative.
Tenth Prosecution Witness Ambassador Victoria Suleiman recognized the 1st, 3rd and 4th accused persons and worked in 2004 in the Permanent Mission in New York at the time she was a Councilor for 8 years.
Continuation of the tenth accused testimony has been adjourned to the 5th August 2022 for further hearing and cross examination by defense counsels respectively.
