Led in evidence by State Prosecutor Allieu Vandi Koroma, the First Prosecution Witness, Sheku Swarray explained that he was at his residence when one Nyakeh contracted him to work for him at his site around Presidential Lodge at Hill Station.
The witness continued to tell the court that when he arrived at the site, he was inspecting the site to find an area to connect a pipe to a septic tank when he later saw two septic tanks.
According to the First Prosecution Witness Sheku Swarray, when he looked inside one of the tanks, he saw something and later called Nyakeh who later helped him to open the septic tank to discover some bullets inside the septic tank.
“After we saw the big and small bullets, Nyakeh called the police and some military officers and promised to get back to me and I left the site,” he said.
State Prosecutor Allieu Vandi Koroma presented the eight bags of bullets to court which the First Prosecution Witness Sheku Swarray identified to be the bullets he saw in the septic tank.
The three accused persons are before the Court Martial to answer to five counts ranging from conspiracy, larceny by servant, willful neglect and ordering damage to service property, willful damage of service property, that was prejudicial to the group order and military discipline, contrary to the Armed Forces of the Republic of Sierra Leone Act No.34 of 1961 as amended.
They were alleged to have committed a civil offence contrary to Section 72 of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Sierra Leone Act No.34 of 1961 as amended, in that they allegedly conspired to steal.
The accused persons were alleged to have between January 1st 2008 and 19th June, 2018, in Freetown, with intent to steal from the Government of Sierra Leone, conspired together with other persons unknown to steal by unlawfully agreeing to steal 4,245 rounds of 12.7 millimeter AA rounds, 3,828 rounds of 14.5 millimeter AA rounds, 11 guns of RPG 6 rounds of 7.62/39 millimeters, 11,476 rounds of 7.62/39 millimeters, 14,100 rounds of 7.62/39 millimeters tracer, 6,740 rounds of 7.62/51 millimeters, 515 rounds of 9/18 millimeters, all to the value of $80,402.30 equivalent to Le 683,490,550, property of the Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL).
In count two, the investigators alleged that the men committed a civil offence contrary to Section 72 of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Sierra Leone Act No.34 of 9161 as amended, that is to say, larceny by servant contrary to Section 17(2) (a) of the Larceny Act of 1916.
The Particulars of Offence stated that the men stole the said guns listed in count one above.
According to the statement of offence stated in count three, the men willfully damaged service property contrary to Section 49(c) of the Armed Forces of the Republic Sierra Leone Act of 1961.
It was alleged that the accused persons on the same date and place, willfully damaged 1,600 rounds of 14.5 mm anti-aircraft ammunition and 178 rounds of 12.7mm anti-aircraft ammunition, all to the value of $10,401.40 Le88, 401,900 property of GoSL.
In count four, the soldiers were charged with willful neglect and ordering damage to service property contrary to Section 49(b) of the Armed Forces of the Republic Sierra Leone Act No.34 of 1961 as amended.
The Particulars of Offence states that the accused persons by means of willful neglect, ordered damage to the said property listed in count three.
It was also alleged in count five that the conduct of the accused person was prejudicial to the group order and military discipline contrary to Section 71 of the Armed Forces of the Republic Sierra Leone Act of 1961.
The prosecution alleged that the accused persons on the same date and place, being members of the Armed Forces of the Republic Sierra Leone, were involved in a conduct prejudicial to the group order and military discipline being that they improperly disposed of all the ammunition listed in count one.
However, the matter was adjourned for further hearing.
