Testifying in court, the personal body guards to the Minister of Political and Public Affairs, Mohamed Sheriff intimated that he recognized the accused person in the dock and also recalled the incident of first October 2017 and first January 2018.

He explained that on the aforementioned dates, he was about to report for duty at the residence of the Public and Political Affairs Minister’s  residence, when he received a telephone call from the  minister’s daughter in law, informing him to report for duty immediately.

He told the court that upon arrival, he met the accused Kandeh Sesay together with the minister, her relative and a certain man of God whom the minister had hired to use some spiritual means and to further determine circumstances surrounding the whereabouts of her money, adding that he was later informed by the Minister that somebody had stole U$$12000 in her residence.

Kandeh Sesay continued that whiles the Man of God was about to invoke the spiritual realm, the accused person suddenly stood up and asked that he wanted to use the rest room.

The witness who is also a serving member of the Republic of Sierra Leone Arm Forces (RSLF) was also asked by the minister and her relatives to accompany the accused person to the rest room for a closed meeting, where the accused admitted that he stole the said amount.

According to the witness, the accused person told him that he had lavished part of the money with his friends and concubines at the Tangays festival held at the national stadium in December 2017.

He further explained that after exerting pressure, the accused person produced a balance of U$$ 8,500, (Eight thousand five hundred united state dollars), and that as they continued to pile pressure on the accused, he produced another (three hundred united state dollars).

The witness informed his audience that the accused later told the minister and her relatives that he had used part of the money to have a nice time with friends and concubines at the Tangays festival at the national stadium, after which he accompanied the accused person to the Criminal Investigation Department, headquarter on Pademba road in Freetown.

He testified that statement was obtained from the accused person, detained and subsequently charged to court in respect of the matter before the court.

Accused Kandeh Sesay was represented by Ishmael Philip Mammie and Assistant Superintendent of Police, ASP Hawa Bah is the police prosecutor.

Magistrate Albert Moody adjourned the matter to Tuesday 30 January 2018.