By Janet Sesay
An Officer of the Sierra Leone Police, alongside his driver, has made his fourth appearance before Magistrate Hannah Bonnie for conspiracy to commit a crime and unlawful possession of cannabis.
The two accused persons, Inspector Alimamy Kargbo and his driver, Abu Bakarr Sow were alleged to have conspired to smuggle 10 bundles of cannabis from Guinea to Freetown.
Led in evidence by Inspector Donald Taylor, the witness, Inspector Isaac Koroma attached to the traffic department at Port-Loko Police station said he recognized the two accused persons and recalled 4th and 6th September, 2019.
On that day, Inspector Koroma said, he was on duty when he got information about a Guinean vehicle carrying cannabis was coming towards the traffic point.
Upon such information, Koroma said, he informed his colleagues so that they could stay alert at the check point. However, the witness said the suspected vehicle escaped the checkpoint as it diverted to another route. “Since the vehicle diverted, we were instructed by the Local Unit Commander of PortLoko Police station to check around Mange vicinity for the said vehicle,” the witness said.
During the search, the witness continued, the suspected vehicle was discovered in a compound in Mange town. “We checked inside the vehicle and saw Alimamy Abu-Bakarr Sow sleeping in the vehicle loaded with cannabis wrapped with a cement paper,” the witness said.
At that point, the witness said, the first accused Alimamy Abu Bakarr Sow was arrested and taken to PortLoko police station for investigation.
The witness also told the court that during the investigation, the first accused alleged that the vehicle in question belonged to the second accused, Inspector Alimamy Kargbo who was also arrested.
On the same day, another police witness, Detective Police Constable Abu Bakarr Bangura attached Port Loko police station took the witness stand and rendered similar testimony.
The charge sheet indicates that the accused persons between Wednesday 4th and Friday 6th September, 2019 at Mange town, in the Port-Loko judicial district in the North-West province of the Republic of Sierra Leone, conspired with other person unknown to transport 10 bundles of cannabis sativa without lawful authority.
Bail for the two accused persons continues and the matter comes up today.