By Janet A. Sesay
The Executive Director of Citizen’s Right Network Sierra Leone, Ibrahim Bai Koroma, has informed the media in a press conference that 19 (nineteen) cartons of Tramadol were missing at Water Quay in a container, where the owner of the container is still unknown.
The press conference was held on Wednesday, 13th March, 2024, at the Citizen’s Right Network office at Goderich Street in Freetown.
The Citizen’s Right Network Sierra Leone is a registered civil society and human rights organisation incorporated within national and international laws for legitimate operations in Sierra Leone and beyond.
This organisation is constituted with a mission to promote and defend the rights of vulnerable groups and advocate for democratic good governance.
Speaking to the media, Director Koroma said being dismayed about the missing 19 cartons of Tramadol drugs at the Quay it prompted the organisation to do an immediate investigation and in the process alleged that supervisor Umaru Maddieu Kanneh of the Customs Department at the Quay was implicated for the missing cartons.
He added that from their investigation the organisation learned that Umaru Maddieu Kanneh indeed earlier stopped the container from moving out of the quay based on the intelligence he had received.
He furthered that according to sources Supervisor Umaru Maddieu Kanneh wasted no time alerting security institutions like the Transnational Organised Crime Unit (TOCU), Office of National Security (ONS), Pharmacy Board and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Police, Sierra Leone Port and Harbour Authority for the immediate 100% physical examination of the container.
Director Koroma informed the media that during examination items discovered from the container include 35 cartons of prebagalin weighing 75 milligrams, 67 cartons of royal tramadol, Hydrochloride capsules weighing 225 milligrams and 229 cartons of Really Extra Tablet Diclofenac.
He said after identifying the items in the presence of all the authorities concerned they were recorded and finally taken to the store for safe keeping while waiting for further decision and examination.
He continued that after the examination all parties were satisfied and the National Revenue Authority (NRA) custom seals were placed on the store and stakeholders took photos of the seal numbers 01581 and 01582 before leaving the store.
Director Koroma also said that on 23rd January, 2023 the same stakeholders who witnessed the physical examination assembled again at the customs store for re-assessment and collection of samples for forensic analysis, adding that the seals were examined again with the same prefix numbers and all parties were satisfied before the seals were tampered with.
He said during the second examination the organisation discovered that one Joseph Steven from Sierra Leone Police at TOCU attached at the Forensic Unit took one thousand tablets of royal tramadol of Hydrochlorides tablets weighing 225 milligrams and five hundred tablets of Prebagaline also weighing 75 milligrams for forensic analysis as per procedure.
Director Koroma continued that Madam Hassan Masuba from the Sierra Leone Pharmacy Board also confirmed to the organisation that she also took 500 tablets of tramadol and 500 tablets of Prebagaline for the same samples for forensic analysis.
He said after that the authorities later identified the seal numbers during exercise and the whole process was supervised by the man in charge Umaru Maddieu Kanneh of the Anti-Smuggling Unit at the container section.
He said at the end of the re-examination of the container the organisation gathered that the team of stakeholders decided to place another new seal with the prefix numbers 05048/05049 before closing the store and photos were also taken by all parties for record purposes.
He said furthermore the organisation gathered that Supervisor Umaru Maddieu Kanneh went on casual leave to Turkey and left his second man Philip Tommy in charge of the office with the consent of Commissioner Tennyson Bio, Assistant Commissioner Felix Jusu and the Manager Outdoor, Bakie Minah.
He said on 17 February, 2024 according to their findings Umaru Maddieu Kanneh reportedly received a call from his second man in the office that TOCU and other security apparatus went to collect the remaining drugs from the warehouse but discovered that nineteen (19) cartons of tramadol were missing while loading them from the warehouse to the vehicle assigned to TOCU and the missing drugs prompted investigation from the commissioner at Customs Tennyson Bio and his Deputy Commissioner Richard Hindolo Senessie.
Director Koroma added that from the investigation they were able to know from the two security guards, an OSD officer and private security guard who were on duty that one Eddy Lahai and Antony Ganda are aware of the whole issue.
Director Koroma said his organisation’s issue was to find out the owner or consignee of the container, and he was identified as Alhassan Jalloh of 17P Calbatown, but when his address was traced there was no building with such an address.
He said his phone number was given and when contacted on the phone he denied knowing the owner of the container but confirmed being the consignee.
He said investigators at TOCU said that they could get Alhassan Jalloh and the owner of the container but presently the container is no longer at the Quay and the drugs have been destroyed by TOCU.
He said it was against this backdrop that the organisation is calling on the authorities concerned to trace the consignee to get the actual owner of the container and investigate the suspects.
Director Koroma furthered that their concern is, why was Supervisor Umaru Maddieu Kanneh’s name being implicated in this issue when the actual facts is that he has been the one who earlier apprehended the container and called for proper check of its contents?
He said during investigation they discovered that Supervisor Umaru Maddieu Kanneh was on casual leave in Turkey when the items were missing and when investigations were carried out by both commissioners, two junior staff members at the National Revenue Authority (NRA) department were identified as suspects but sadly all necessary details of these workers were not released by TOCU after obtaining statements from them.
He said now the major concern is the owner of the container is still not yet known.
He concluded that the organisation is of the firm belief that the rights of citizens must be guaranteed by providing equal justice to all without fear and favour.
He said it is against this backdrop that the organisation is calling for thorough investigation and bringing the culprits to book without further delay.
He applauded Supervisor Umaru Maddieu Kanneh for his patriotic job towards the state and wanted those who are vilifying him to stop the negative attitude as such will not help build the nation we all are yearning for.