Freetown, Sierra Leone—Newton Johnson, an Italian-Nigerian national, was committed to the High Court in Freetown on Monday, 14th April 2025, for trial over allegations of unlawful possession of cocaine. Magistrate Santigie Bangura of Pademba Road Court No. 2 made the ruling, citing sufficient evidence to proceed with the case.
Johnson faces two charges under Section 7(b) of the National Drugs Control Act of 2008: collecting prohibited drugs and possessing prohibited drugs without lawful authority. According to the charge sheet, the accused was intercepted on Saturday, 9th November 2024, at the Freetown International Airport with two compressed parcels of cocaine.
During the preliminary hearings, three prosecution witnesses testified, including the exhibit clerk who presented the seized drugs as evidence. Magistrate Bangura noted that the witnesses’ testimonies were consistent and substantiated the charges against Johnson. The magistrate concluded that the evidence warrants further trial at the High Court.
Before his committal, Johnson was asked whether he intended to testify or call witnesses in his defense at the High Court. The accused responded that he would await advice from his legal counsel. Magistrate Bangura ordered Johnson to be remanded in custody without bail pending his trial at the High Court.