Freetown, 17th February, 2026 — The High Court of Sierra Leone has sentenced a Pakistani national, Abdullah Abdul Rehman, to 40 years imprisonment after convicting him of unlawful possession of cocaine. The ruling, delivered by Hon. Justice Mark Ngegba, follows a full trial in which the prosecution proved that Rehman was found with 300 grams of cocaine at Lungi in January 2025. He was charged under Section 8(a) of the National Drugs Control Act of 2008.
The prosecution called three witnesses to establish its case. Assistant Superintendent of Police Joseph Stevens, a forensic analyst attached to the Transnational Organised Crime Unit (TOCU), testified that laboratory tests confirmed the seized substance was cocaine hydrochloride.
Detective Sergeant Sahr Kovoma Sundu, also of TOCU, detailed his investigation, noting that the defendant admitted receiving the substance from an unknown individual.
The defendant himself, testifying through an interpreter, acknowledged possession of the cocaine but claimed he did not know what it was, stating it had been given to him by a Sierra Leonean friend.
In his judgment, Justice Ngegba emphasized that the prosecution had discharged its burden of proof beyond reasonable doubt. He ruled that the evidence clearly established unlawful possession of cocaine.
“The Prosecution has provided sufficient evidence to warrant a guilty verdict against the Defendant. The Defendant is therefore found guilty of the offence charged, and I sentence him to forty (40) years imprisonment,” Justice Ngegba declared.
The case underscores Sierra Leone’s tough stance on drug trafficking and possession, with authorities reaffirming their commitment to combating transnational organized crime.
