They are charged with various offences ranging from Conspiracy, Misappropriation of Public Funds to Abuse of Office, contrary to the Anti Corruption Commission Act of 2008.
The State alleged that the four indictees misappropriated the sum of sixty million Leones that was paid to the court in the form of a fine levied on Lawyer Shears-Moses after he was convicted by Hon. Justice Miatta Samba of the High Court of Sierra Leone for corruption-related offences.
In his testimony, the Anti Corruption Commission Investigator, Andrew Demby informed the court that he is the Lead Investigator in the matter and charges preferred against the four indictees and that he has worked at the Commission for close to nine years.
He testified that he is charged with the responsibility of investigating allegations bordering on corruption offences as provided in the Anti-Corruption Act of 2008.
He recognized all four indictees in the dock, adding that on 20th March 2019, the matter was assigned to him for investigation, together with other investigators of the Commission.
He further testified that between 20th March 2019 and 22 April 2019 he obtained voluntary caution statement from the first indictee, Steven Yayah Mansaray and the third indictee Abubakar Bangura together with his team and later obtained same voluntary caution statement from the second indictee, Adel Fayah and the fourth indictee, Isatu Kamara.
The said voluntary caution statements of the four indictees were produced and tendered in evidence.
Recapitulating the voluntary caution statement of the fourth indictee, Isatu Kamara, the Investigator said the fourth indictee confirmed payment of the sum of sixty million Leones to Isatu Kamara as fine levied on Lawyer Shears-Moses after he was convicted by the High Court of Sierra Leone for a corruption offence.
The Investigator further told the court that Isatu Kamara had informed him that she shares the same office at Law Court Building, Siaka Steven Street with the second indictee who is the Accountant Clerk at the judiciary and that when the fine was paid to Isatu Kamara, the National Revenue Authority collector informed the Account Clerk Adel Fayah at the Judiciary about the payment.
The Anti Corruption Investigator Andrew Demby later informed the court that they later conducted a search of the office of the second and fourth indictees and took away certain financial documents relevant to their investigation on the matter before the court.
Before that, he went with a team of investigators and visited the former Master and Registrar at his office and informed the latter about the purpose of their visit, adding that the Master and Registrar later took them to the office of the second and fourth indictees in the person of Adel Fayah and Isatu Kamara.
The Anti Corruption Commission was represented by Barrister Victor T. Biadoma and M. Sowe, while the four indictees were defended by a battery of lawyers.
The matter comes up again.
