A Magistrate Court presided over by His Worship Harold Kamara has committed a defendant to the High Court for trial after finding that the prosecution established a prima facie case in a drug possession matter.
The defendant, John Conteh, is facing two counts of possession of a prohibited drug without lawful authority, contrary to Section 8(a) of the National Drugs Control Act of 2008.
Court records indicate that Conteh was arrested on Saturday, May 23, 2026, along the main motor road in Mile 91, Yoni Mamaila Chiefdom, Tonkolili Judicial District, in Sierra Leone’s North-East Province. He was allegedly found in possession of fifteen (15) tablets of Tramadol (250mg) without lawful authority.
During arraignment, no plea was taken due to the indictable nature of the offence, and the matter proceeded through committal proceedings.
In proving their case, the prosecution, led by Sub-Inspector I.F. Bangura Esq. representing the Inspector General of Police, tendered several exhibits, including an arrest report addressed to the Local Unit Commander (LUC) of Mile 91 detailing how the defendant was searched during patrol and the drugs allegedly discovered in his possession.
The prosecution also submitted a voluntary cautioned statement allegedly made by the defendant admitting possession of the substances, along with charge statements, the seized fifteen tablets of Tramadol, and photographs of the alleged scene of crime.
At the close of the prosecution’s case, the defendant elected not to cross-examine the prosecution’s witnesses.
Delivering his ruling, Magistrate Kamara stated that the court’s duty at this stage was to determine whether sufficient evidence had been presented to establish a prima facie case requiring the defendant to answer.
He ruled that the prosecution had indeed presented enough evidence to warrant the case being answered in a higher court.
As a result, Conteh has been committed to the High Court for trial and remanded in custody at the Moyamba Correctional Centre, unless granted bail by the High Court.
The ruling was delivered on June 8, 2026, in Mile 91.
