By Hassanatu I. Conteh
Mohamed Hassan Juma and Alfai Shabani Mkobela, businessmen from Tanzania, appeared on Monday, 8th September, 2025 before Magistrate Mustapha Braima Jah at Pademba Road Magistrate Court No. 1 in Freetown on four count charges relating to possession of Cocaine.
The duo are standing trial on four counts of possession and collection of prohibited drugs without lawful authority, contrary to Section 7(b) of the National Drug Control Act 2008 (Act No. 4.10 of 2008), and possession of prohibited drugs without lawful authority, contrary to Section 8(a) of the same Act.
According to police files, on Tuesday, 22 October 2024, at Freetown International Airport, the accused were found in possession of and had collected 34 compressed parcels of cocaine without lawful authority.
When the charges were read and explained to the accused, no plea was taken.
In a bid for justice, State Prosecutor A.B.N. Taylor Kamara, leading Police Constable Alhaji Dauda Sandi (15113), attached to the Transnational Organized Crime Unit (TOCU), in his testimony, recognized both accused persons in the dock. He recalled the 23rd October 2024, that he was on duty at TOCU when the transfer case and inquiry files from the Airport Police Station regarding the offense of unlawful possession were handed over to him for further investigation. He said the accused persons were subsequently arrested on 4th November, 2024. The abstract report dated 22 October, 2024 and the voluntary caution statements were both tendered as exhibits.
The witness further explained that on 23 October, 2024 he, together with Inspector Steven A. Turay, obtained voluntary caution statements from the accused persons. The accused were cautioned and questioned in English, and their responses were recorded in English. At the conclusion of the questioning, each statement was read to the respective accused persons in English, which they admitted to be true and correct by appending their right-hand thumbprints, witnessed by Inspector Turay, while Sandi signed as the recorder. The statements were tendered as Exhibits D1-14 for the first accused and E1-9 for the second accused.
During the investigation, a request for forensic analysis was made on 23 October 2024. The forensic analyst’s report, dated 4 November 2024, identified Exhibits Z1-4. Advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) was tendered as Exhibit G, dated 13 November 2024.
Both accused persons were charged separately with offenses of transporting and collecting prohibited drugs without lawful authority. Both were cautioned and questioned in English, with their responses recorded in English. At the conclusion of the questioning, both statements were read and explained to them separately in English, which they admitted to be true and correct by appending their right-hand thumbprints as was witnessed by Inspector Turay, while Sandi signed as the recorder.
The witnessed further testified that both accused persons were properly cautioned and questioned, with all statements duly recorded by Alhaji Dauda Sandi of TOCU and witnessed by Inspector Steven A. Turay.
However, Magistrate Jah ordered both accused to be remanded at the Male Correctional Center and adjourned the matter to 10th September 2025.