By Janet A. Sesay
A witness, Paul Idriss Kamara who testified as a Councillor at Gbere Junction in the Port Loko District, said he recognized the 1st and 2nd accused.
Lead in evidence by ACC prosecutor, Lawyer Kadiatu Z. Bangura, on Wednesday September 9, 2020 before Hon. Justice Bintu Alhadi, the witness recalled September 14th, 2019 when he went to the Holy Family Secondary School, which was a center for the private WASSCE, to take the Economics paper when officials from the Anti-Corruption Commission entered the compound.
He said, after the Principal who is the 1st accused, had addressed the students taking the exams, he went into one of the classrooms when he heard noise outside saying that ACC officials were in the compound.
“I continued with my exanimation and submitted my answer sheet to the invigilator and went home,” he said, adding that, on the following day, which was a Sunday, “I sent a text message to a relative of the 1st accused, Henry Sheku Kamara, to extend my sympathy to the Principal for what happened on the previous day, when ACC officials entered the compound and arrested some people.”
The witness further told the court that, after some 3 to 4 weeks, he received a call from the ACC inviting him to their office on an allegation of a text message he had sent to the relative of the 1st accused, Henry Sheku Kamara.
“The ACC investigator then asked me about the relationship between Henry Sheku Kamara and the Principal. I told him that they are brothers,” he said, adding that he came to know the family when two of his children attended the school.
The three accused, Henry Abass Kamara, Marion Follah Musu Kamara and Emmanuel Kobby, were arrested for examination malpractice at the Holy Family Secondary School, Deep Eye Water, Waterloo District on allegations that WASSCE private candidates were made to write their examination in a dwelling house rather than the designated centre set up by the West African Examination Council at the Holy Family Secondary School.
The three accused were charged with five counts of soliciting an advantage, accepting an advantage and conspiracy to commit corruption offence.