By Alimatu Jalloh
As the fight against the use of drugs intake continues a police prosecution witness, Detective Sergeant 1027, Buya Abu Kamara who is attached to the Exhibits Office at the Ross Road Police Station, Harbour Division in the east of Freetown has tendered several pills suspected to be Tramadol and 389 wraps of dried leaves suspected to be “kush”.
Led in evidence by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Osman M. Bangura the witness informed the court that among his duties and responsibilities are receiving all exhibits relating to matters that had been investigated, and producing and tendering them in court when the need arises.
Sergeant Kamara then recalled that on the 12th of August 2023 he was on duty at the office, when Detective Sergeant 10617 Alie Siao a colleague police officer who works at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) at the same police station handed over to him seven cards of Tramadol Pills, 2 plastic full of a substance suspected to be “kush” which amounted to 389 wraps of dried leaves suspected to be kush, 17 packets of cigarette papers, 7 pairs of scissors , a cash of NLe 21,000, 10 cards of pills suspected to be Tramadol,16 pills believed to be Tramadol, a cash of NLe650, 8 cards of pills believed to be Tramadol, 1054 wraps of a substance suspected to be kush, a blue-handled scissors and 8 pills belied to be of Tramadol as exhibits.
Kamara said he registered them in the court Exhibit Book with serial number 157/2023.
He said since the item were handed him they had been in his custody, and at that point he produced and tendered them in evidence.
During cross examination when defense counsel Alie Santos Sesay, who represented Mohamed Colo Bah, asked the witness to inform the court on when the items which he had tendered were handed over to him, he said that that was done on the 12th of June, 2023.
Lawyer Sesay then challenged the witness that none of the exhibits which he had tendered had been identified to him, and the witness confirmed that indeed they had not been identified to him.
At this stage of cross examination Defense Counsel Alie Santos Sesay, then put it to Kamara that when he Testified-in-Chief evidence in chief, he told the court that exhibits “B” was kush.
In response, the witness said he had come to that conclusion based on expert opinion.
When Lawyer Sesay enquired from the witness whether the exhibits had been wrapped at the time they were handed to him, the witness responded that some had been and others had not.
Magistrate Kekura refused to admit the accused persons to bail and remanded them at the Male Correctional Centre on Pademba Road in Freetown.
The accused, Mohamed Colo Bah and the three other accused persons are appearing before the court for the crime of Unlawful Possession contrary to the section 8 (a) of the National Drugs Act 2008.
The police say the first accused, Mohamed Colo Bah, on Tuesday 8th August, 2023 at No.88 Thunder Hill Road, Kissy Freetown, was found in possession of the unlawful items.
The charge sheet furthered that the second accused, Alfred Coker was found in possession 164 wraps of substance suspected to be kush.
The police say the third accused was also found in possession 16 tablets suspected to be Tramadol.
Meanwhile, the matter has been adjourned to Thursday 28th September, 2023 for further hearing.