By Fatima Kpaka
Lieutenant Colonel Foday K. Sannoh has on Monday, August 28, 2023, testified before magistrate Mark Ngegba of Court No1 against five ex-military officers who are before the court for operating a private security company without lawful authorization.
The accused persons Rtd Captain Milton Sam Bangura, Morlai Bai Shebura Kamara, Rtd. Major Alimamy O. Kamara, Saccoh Kamara and Rtd. Major Mathew Sorie Kamara are arraigned on two counts of conspiracy contrary to law and operating a private security service without valid license contrary to section 31(8) of the National Security and Central Intelligence Act 2023, Act No 2 of 2023.
According to count one, the accused on Wednesday 7th June 2023, at the Freetown Ferry Terminal Kissy in the Western Area conspired together with other person’s unknown to operate a private security service without valid license.
The second count added that the accused on the same date and place were found operating a private security service by the name of Expandable without valid license.
The witness led in evidence by Chief Superintendent of police Juan M. S. Bull, said he is the Commandant and Operation Officer in the Western Area for the Security Agency in Western Area.
He recognized only the first and second accused persons as his former colleagues and recalled that on June 7th, 2023 he got an instruction from his superior to go to Kissy Terminal in respect of the accused persons. He added that by the time he got there, the accused persons had already been taken in custody by the police.
The witness said that he escorted the accused persons to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headquarters for further investigation, and that was all what he did in respect of the said matter.
During cross-examination by lawyer Joseph Fizgerald Kamara, the witness revealed that the first accused was in a military camouflage fatigue when he was arrested, and he knows them as colleagues.
When asked whether he was aware of any intelligence concerning the accused persons, the witness suggested that the question be put to his chain of command. The Defense Counsel Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara at that stage of the proceedings refereed to the witness as hostile one by reason of his apparent refusal to answer the questions which had been posed to him.
Lawyer Joseph Fizgerald Kamara informed the court that the accused persons had been in custody for 50 days without being admitted to bail.
The Defense counsel made an application for an in camera seating in furtherance of the cross-examination of the witness on the grounds that the witness is withholding certain information.
He also stated that all what the witness relied on was faulty intelligence that he used against the accused persons jeopardizing their liberty.
Magistrate Ngegba in his ruling to the application made by the defense said he was not in the capacity to know about any intelligence the witness is holding. He therefore, denied the application for the hearing to be held in private.
Lawyer Kamara said he can’t continue the cross-examination due to the decision of the court to overrule their application for private hearing.
In the circumstance, the cross-examination was discontinued.
Lawyer Joseph Fizgerald Kamara also renewed his application for bail on behalf of the accused persons.
Magistrate Ngegba refused to admit the five accused persons to bail and ordered for them to be remanded. The matter was adjourned to Tuesday, September 5th, 2023.
Chief Superintendent of Police Juan M. S. Bull is prosecuting the matter in court.