Principal Magistrate Mustapha Brima Jah of Pademba Road Court No. 1 has ordered the committal of four individuals to the High Court for trial over serious allegations linked to the illegal production and distribution of the dangerous substance locally known as kush.
The ruling, delivered on Wednesday, follows a high-profile police raid conducted on November 20, 2024, at 66 Kanu Drive, Temne Town, Allen Town — a location suspected of being a hub for kush manufacturing.
The accused — identified as Andrew Momoh Jah (motorbike rider), Daniel Kamara (labourer), Zainab Kamara (businesswoman), and Thomas Leigh Koroma (unemployed) — are facing a total of thirteen charges. These include unlawful manufacturing, possession, and trafficking of kush.
Prosecutors relied on the testimony of four witnesses and presented thirty-three exhibits during the preliminary inquiry. Citing Section 108 of the Criminal Procedure Act No. 32 of 1965, they urged the court to commit the matter to the High Court for full trial, asserting that the evidence clearly pointed to the accused being involved in kush-related offences.
The defence team challenged the prosecution’s application, arguing that the evidence lacked legal merit and urging the court to scrutinise its sufficiency. But in his ruling, Magistrate Jah stated, “This is not a trial but a judicial investigation to determine whether there is sufficient ground to commit the accused. The prosecution has satisfied that threshold.”
He dismissed the defence’s objections and ordered all four to be committed to stand trial in the High Court.
During proceedings, the first accused alleged that police officers entered the premises without a warrant and extracted statements under duress.
He further claimed no drugs were found at the scene and accused officers of seizing money that was never brought as evidence. The fourth accused echoed these allegations, stating that officers broke down his door and confiscated cash that was also unaccounted for in court records. Meanwhile, the second accused informed the court he would not call witnesses in his defence at the High Court.
All four remain in custody as the case prepares to proceed to the next stage in the judiciary system.
