By Saio Marrah
A 41-year-old accused Matthew Mendy; a Gambian national has appeared before a magistrate court in Freetown after he was allegedly caught with a shotgun at the Freetown International Airport.
The accused, a herbalist and businessman was arraigned before Magistrate Sahr Kekura at the Pademba Road Court No.1 on Friday 19th April 2024.
The aviation security supervisor attached to the Westminster section of the Freetown International Airport, Mary Finda Ngawuja as the second prosecution witness, testified before the court on Friday.
She told the court that on Monday 29th January this year, she was on duty doing a normal routine checkup together with her personnel at level three of their check (scanning) point when she discovered an object via a screen, which appeared to be a shot gun.
The witness said she called on other security apparatuses as the normal procedure is, and upon checking realized the suspected luggage bore the name of the accused.
Ms. Ngawuja told the court that she then called on the accused to conduct a physical search on his luggage, which the accused accepted.
“I asked him if he was the owner of the luggage and he said yes, and I further asked him if he was the one who packed the luggage before it was scanned and he said yes,” the witness told the court.
The court learned from her that she ordered the accused to open it, after which the accused removed every item from the luggage, one at a time.
According to her, the shotgun was discovered in a soldier's boot, where it was concealed.
When I asked him if he owned the shotgun, he said yes, but that the accused said it was given to him to repair in the Gambia.
The witness said at that point they took out his passport from him and found out that the accused was a Gambian National.
Ms. Ngawuja said she then handed him over to the Sierra Leone Police, where she (the witness) also made a statement regarding the incident.
During cross-examination by Lawyer Chernor Kamara, the witness admitted that before the shotgun was discovered, the luggage had already gone through levels one and two of the search process.
Ms. Ngawuja also told the court that she was in charge of levels one, two, and three and that it was at level three she discovered something like a shotgun in the said luggage.
The court further learnt from the witness that she took the luggage to the search room when the accused was not around and after which, the accused was called upon for the physical search.
The third prosecution witness in the same matter, Police Corporal Fanta Fofanah also testified that on the same 29th January, she was on duty at the cargo unit of the airport when she was called upon by the Crime Officer of Freetown International Airport Police Division, Assistant Superintendent Septimus Juana Kamanda to obtain a statement from the accused.
She said they obtained a statement from the accused. Ms. Fofana also told the court that a knife with a brown handle was also shown to her in relation to the accused, but that the accused said he was not the owner of the said knife. The matter resumes on 26th April this year.
Copyright © 2024 Politico (24/04/24)
