Police charged the accused persons with the offences of Conspiracy to Import a Prohibited Drug into Sierra Leone, Unlawful Possession of a Prohibited Drug, Aiding and Abetting, Selling a Prohibited Drug, Larceny to Disposing of or otherwise dealing with a property or proceeds obtained or derived directly, as a result of the commission of an offence without lawful authority.
According to the charge sheet, the first accused person Nigerian-born Issac Chukwunonso was arrested at Jendema, Mano River in the Sorogbema Chiefdom, Pujehun District in the southern part of Sierra Leone with what police say is seventy pellets of cocaine, weighing one kilogram. He was arrested on Monday 16 July this year.
The State alleged that Inspector Donald Kandeh Zizer and Sergeant Ibrahim Bangura attached to the Transnational Organized Crime Unit (TOKU) on Friday 20 July 2018, stole eighteen pellets of the cocaine weighing two hundred and seventy kilograms, and valued at five thousand, four hundred United States dollars ($5400), equivalent to forty five million, three hundred sixty thousand Leones (Le45,360,000).
The two hundred and seventy kilograms cocaine in question was in the custody of the Transnational Organized Crime Unit (TOKU), at Hastings in the outskirt of Freetown.
The charge sheet states that Inspector Donald Kandeh Zizer and Sergeant Ibrahim Bangura being police officers attached to the Transnational Organized Crime Unit (TOKU) at Hastings, disposed of or otherwise dealt with the stolen eighteen pellets of cocaine, valued at ten million Leones (Le10M).
No evidence was led due to the conspicuous absence of the prosecution witnesses.
Counsel representing the accused persons, Madieu Sesay later canvassed the presiding magistrate to put the accused persons on bail but police prosecutor, Assistant Superintendent of Police, (ASP) Ibrahim S. Mansaray vehemently objected on the grounds that the accused persons are flight risks, coupled with the seriousness of the offences charged.
At this stage of proceedings, Magistrate Santigie Bangura ordered that the accused persons be remanded at the country’s maximium state detention centre at Pademba Road in Freetown. The matter was adjourned to Thursday 9th August, 2018.
