By Fatima Kpaka
Detective Police Inspector Mohamed Kargbo has on Tuesday, September 5, 2023 tendered in court presided over by Magistrate Mark Ngegba 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 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, the accused persons on Wednesday. June 7, 2023, at Freetown Ferry Terminal Kissy conspired with other person’s unknown to operate a private security service without license.
All accused persons on the same date were found operating a private security service by the name of Expandable without valid license, according to count two.
Led in evidence by Chief Superintendent of Police Juan Bull, the prosecution witness detective Inspector Mohamed Kargbo recognised all the accused persons in respect of the matter.
On June 7, 2023, he said he was on duty 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 tendered in court.
The witness added that on June 12, 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.
Statements of the first, second and forth accused persons were tendered in court as exhibit.
On 10 June, himself together with detective police constable 17291 Kallon R B obtained voluntary caution statement from the third accused. The statement was produced and tendered as exhibits.
He said on July 11, 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 tendered as exhibit.
The witness added that on July 17, 2023, himself together with two other police officers obtained additional caution statement from the fifth accused.
The witness said on July 24, 2023, himself together with Detective Sergeant 8904 S.K Amadu obtained charged statements from all the accused persons and charged 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 produced and tendered in court.
During cross-examination by lawyer Joseph Fizgerald Kamara, the witness said he has been a police officer for six years.
The witness also confirmed that the first accused persons was arrested with a document with the 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, the police officer said yes it was a threat to security because accused were operating a private security service for the main opposition.
When asked 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 license he could not. The second, he said, told him he was a petty trader and the third said he is a businessman but did not verify that bit of information.
He also confirmed that the fifth accused told him that he is not resident in Sierra Leone, and he only came to vote.
When he was questioned 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 ask them.
Lawyer Kamara put it to the witness that he only charged the accused persons because they were APC supporters, but he replied in the negative.
”I did not asked them for their security service license and did not asked the ONS [Office of National Security] whether the group Expandable was license,” the witness said.
Lawyer Kamara further put it to the witness that all what he did was armchair investigation, but the witness said no.
”Being a party agent of the APC or coordinating the affairs of the party an offence by law? Lawyer Kamara asked the witness. The formal 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 saida that third accused persons was arrested with n APC T-shirt.
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 who have served the country diligently and have been in custody for three months.
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 September 7, 2023.