The High Court of Sierra Leone presided over by Hon. Justice Adrian Fisher has overruled the No Case Submission filed by Saidu Nallo, Foday Vahfomba Bawoh, Adikali F. Suma, Dr. Samura Kamara, Kandeh F. B Kamara and Jules S. Davis.
Lawyers of Dr. Samura Mathew Wilson Kamara have earlier asked the Court to throw the Case out without them needing to do a Defense because they say the Prosecution by the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) has not made any case against Dr. Samura Kamara.
Honourable Justice Adrian Fisher said the matter will continue and the 4th accused, Dr. Samura Kamara should put up a defense to the charges of alleged corruption against him on the construction of the Sierra Leone Chancery Building in New York.
He said Dr. Samura Kamara’s lawyers are to put up a Defense to defend their client of many of the corruption evidence which the ACC brought to the Courts. He warned against people dragging politics into the matters and advised them to focus on the importance of the matter before the court.
Hon. Justice Fisher informed that between 1st and 7th March, the Court will travel to New York as part of investigations and that upon returns, the matte will continue.
It is alleged that all accused persons were culpable in the disappearance of millions of dollars meant for the reconstruction of the country’s Chancery Building in New York.
According to a statement issued by the ACC, Saidu Nallo – Head of Chancery of Sierra Leone’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, Foday Vahfomba Bawoh – former Financial Attache of Sierra Leone’s Mission to the United Nations in New York, Adikalie Foday Suma – former Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone’s Mission to the United Nations, Dr. Samura Matthew Wilson Kamara – former Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MFAIC), Dr. Kandeh Foday Basil Kamara – Financial Attache of Sierra Leone’s Mission to the United Nations in New York, and Jules Sanders Davis – an American Citizen and agent/contractor of the Sierra Leone Permanent Mission to the United Nations, on Forty Eight counts of corruption offences bordering on Failure to Comply with Applicable Procedures and Guidelines relating to procurement, the management of funds, contrary to Section 48(2)(b), Misappropriation of Public Funds, contrary to Section 36(1), Abuse of Office, contrary to Section 42(1), Fraudulent Acquisition of a Benefit, contrary to Section 48(1)(a), Knowingly Deceiving a Principal, contrary to Section 40(3), and Conspiracy to commit a Corruption offence, contrary to Section 128, of the Anti-Corruption Act No. 12, of 2008 as Amended in 2019 respectively.
Saidu Nallo and Foday Vahfomba Bawoh are jointly charged with Ten counts of corruption offences involving the failure to comply with applicable procedures and guidelines relating to the management of funds, conspiracy to commit a corruption offence, and misappropriation of public funds amounting to Nine Hundred and Forty-Seven Thousand, Four Hundred United States Dollars ($947,400).
He is also jointly charged with Dr. Kandeh Foday Basil Kamara on Sixteen counts of corruption offences also involving the failure to comply with applicable procedures and guidelines relating to the management of funds, conspiracy to commit a corruption offence, and misappropriation of public funds amounting to Six Million, Five Hundred and Thirty Thousand, Seven Hundred and Ninety-Eight United States Dollars, and Five Cents ($6,530,798.05).
Moreover, Nallo is jointly charged with Jules Sanders Davis on Two counts of conspiracy to commit a corruption offence.
Foday Vahfomba Bawoh is separately charged with Ten counts of corruption offences involving the failure to comply with applicable procedures and guidelines relating to the management of funds, conspiracy to commit a corruption offence, abuse of office, and misappropriation of public funds amounting to One Million, Five Hundred and Ninety-Two Thousand, Two Hundred United States Dollars ($1,592,200), being funds meant for the reconstruction of the Chancery Building in New York.
Jules Sanders Davis, who was awarded the contract for the reconstruction of the Chancery building, is separately charged on One count of fraudulent acquisition of a benefit and One count of knowingly deceiving a principal, as he gave requisitions which contained statements that are defective with the intent to deceive his Principal, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
Adikalie Foday Suma is jointly charged with Jules Sanders Davis on One count of conspiracy to commit a corruption offence, and separately charged on Two counts of the failure to comply with applicable procedures and guidelines relating to the management of funds and the tendering of contracts.
Dr. Samura Matthew Wilson Kamara is charged with One count of deceiving a principal and One count of misappropriation of public funds amounting to Two Million, Five Hundred and Sixty Thousand United States Dollars ($2,560,000) meant for the reconstruction of the Sierra Leone Chancery Building in New York.
Dr. Samura Kamara had long denied the allegations and claimed that the case was politically motivated to tarnish the good image and reputation he has nurtured over the years.
