Magistrate Mark Ngegba of the Pademba Road Court No.1 on Monday 5th December, 2022, passed a minimal sentence on four of the sacked police officers after the exhibits clerk produced and tendered the exhibits involving in the matter.
According to the Exhibit Clerk, Detective Sergeant 13905 Mohamed Usufu Jalloh, he was on duty on the 22nd November, 2022, when he received from Sergeant 10831 Sesay A., exhibits including 226 raps of cannabis sativa, 20 raps of Kush, 6 tablets of tramadol, 1 rap of cannabis sativa and a Kush respectively. He said he registered the exhibits into the court exhibit book as against the serial No. 16/2022.
It could be recalled that on Monday 28th November, 2022, four of the dismissed Police officers, Haja Safinatu Conteh, Alpha Kargbo, on Ibrahim Collier Hazeley, and Mohamed Nabieu pleaded guilty, while the fourth accused Santigie Turay pleaded not guilty before the court for the offences charged against them.
They were charged with six count offences of unlawful possession of cannabis sativa, Kush and tramadol, all contrary to section 48 (1) of the Pharmacy and Drugs Act of 2001.
The particulars of offence indicated that the first accused,Haja Safinatu Conteh on Tuesday 8th November, 2022, at SILEA campus, police training school, Hastings, was found in possession of two hundred and twenty-six (226) raps of cannabis sativa contained in a black plastic bag weighing 20 grams, without lawful authority.
The second accused Alpha Kargbo on the same date and place, was found in possession of ten (10) raps of kush contained in a medical sachet weighing 0.4 grams without lawful authority and was also found in possession of six tablets of tramadol also contained in a medical sachet weighing 0.2 grams without lawful authority.
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Ibrahim Collier Hazeley was found in possession of one rap of cannabis sativa weighing 0.4 grams without lawful authority and Santigie Turay was also found in possession of one rap of cannabis sativa weighing 0.4 grams, while Mohamed Nabieu was found in possession of one rap of kush weighing 0.2 gram without lawful authority.
In his plea mitigation, Defense Counsel Ahmed Mansaray Esq. pleaded with the Bench to temper justice with mercy.
According to him, his clients are first time offenders and sought from the Bench to pass a minimal punishment to the convicts.
In his sentence, Magistrate Ngegba cited the previous status of the convicts and also the seriousness of the offences.
He therefore sentenced the first convict to serve a jail term of 10 months, second convict 12 months, third convict 6months, while the fifth convict to serve a jail term of 8 months respectively, all to run concurrently.
The fourth accused was remanded, while his matter comes up on Monday 12th December, 2022.
