Food seller in court over Kush

By Saio Marrah

Police constable Osman Kamara attached to Lumley Police Division, has said officers arrested Messie Jusu a food seller (Cassava and Beans), at a place where a narcotic substance commonly known as “Kush” is sold and consumed.

During cross-examination by Lawyer T.W. Davies at the Pademba Road Magistrate Court in Freetown on Thursday 14^th September 2023, Constable Kamara agreed that the seventh accused, Jusu was selling food, cassava, and beans, and not the narcotic substance, “Kush” at Karim Drive, Juba in Freetown where she was arrested.

Kamara had earlier testified that on 23^rd August this year, a team of police was on patrol from the Lumley Police Division when they met and arrested the first and second accused, Kumba Mansaray and Zainab Kamara at 8 Regent Road, Lumley in possession of suspected illegal substances.

He told the court that they caught the first and second accused wrapping it up at the same address, while the seventh accused was not caught with the substance, but that she was at a place where “Kush” and other harmful substances were being consumed.

According to him, the first accused was caught with 31 wraps, while the second accused was found in possession of nine wraps.

During a cross-examination by Lawyer Hassan Thullah, Kamara told the court that they met the first and second accused of selling and wrapping the narcotic substance.

He further disclosed that the first accused was holding a rubber bowl and that she hung a bag, where police discovered the suspected unlawful substances. The second accused, he said, was selling it to other people.

The police witness denied the allegation that the other people who escaped during the arrest threw unlawful substances at the first and second accused.

In his bail application, Lawyer Thullah told the magistrate that the second accused is a student of a vocational institute and had been constrained from attending classes due to the case.

Bail for the first and second accused was denied by the magistrate, while the seventh accused remains on bail.