By Janet Sesay
Chimmezie Ume Ibeh, Sheku Massaquoi and Moses William made their first appearance before Justice Reginald Fyne of High Court No.1 during the 2019 criminal session.
They were dragged to the High Court for conspiring together to import 1.7 kilogram of cocaine and heroin from Kenya to Sierra Leone.
The accused persons were before the judge on two count indictments of conspiracy to commit importation of prohibited drugs to wit cocaine.
It was also alleged that the accused persons on diverse dates between 1st August and 28th August 2018 in the Port Loko Judicial District, northern Sierra Leone imported 1.7 kilogram of cocaine from Kenya to Sierra Leone without lawful authority.
During proceedings, all three accused persons pleaded not guilty to the offence.
Defense counsel, Abdul Karim Koroma made bail application on behalf of all three accused persons saying that the second and third accused persons: Sheku Massaquoi and Moses William are Sierra Leoneans and were granted bail.
The first accused person, Chimmezie Ume Ibeh, though not a Sierra Leonean had reliable sureties to stand on his behalf.
The state prosecutor, Esther Kabbia, vehemently opposed to bail on the grounds that if the accused persons are granted bail, they will jump bail.
Justice Fyne granted the accused persons two hundred million Leones bail and two sureties each in like sum, and that each surety should be property owner while the first accused person was ordered to report every day at 9:00 a.m at the Criminal Investigations Department headquarters and should submit all his travel documents to the court.
The matter was adjourned to 25th September, 2019 and assigned to Justice Momoh Jah Stevens for hearing.