By: Tamba Steven Komba
A routine checkpoint search at Masiaka has spiralled into a high-profile criminal case after a magistrate ruled that there is enough evidence to send a local resident to the High Court for trial over the unlawful possession of ammunition.
In a ruling delivered at the Magistrate Court, Masiaka, His Worship Magistrate Harold Kamara committed Marouf Farouk Kamara to stand trial before the High Court of Justice of Sierra Leone for unlawful possession of ammunition without a license.
“The duty of this court at the committal stage,” Magistrate Kamara declared in his ruling, “is to determine whether the prosecution has established a prima facie case sufficient to justify committing the defendant for trial before the High Court.” After reviewing the evidence, he concluded firmly: “I am satisfied that the prosecution has established a prima facie case against the defendant.”
According to court records, Kamara was arrested on December 2, 2024, at the Port Loko Road checkpoint in Masiaka Town. Prosecutors told the court that he was found with “one calibre live round (cartridge) without license,” an offense contrary to section 22(1) of the Sierra Leone Commission on Arms and Ammunition Act No. 24 of 2023.
Inspector Gibril Kargbo, prosecuting on behalf of the Inspector General of Police, laid out a trail of evidence that the court described as “clear and consistent.” The prosecution tendered multiple exhibits, including written statements from the arresting officer, corroborating testimony from a Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces personnel, an endorsed search warrant, and a ballistic examination report.
“The ballistic examination report confirms that the exhibit examined was one 7.62 by 39mm calibre live round,” the magistrate noted, adding that “the physical exhibit was produced before this court.”
Perhaps most damaging to the defense was Kamara’s own account. In his voluntary cautioned statement, tendered as evidence, the defendant “admitted that the ammunition was found in his pocket and explained how he came to possess it.” The court emphasized that “the confession statement provides direct evidence linking the defendant to the possession of the ammunition.”
Notably, the defendant appeared in court without legal representation and chose not to challenge the prosecution’s case. “The defendant informed this court that he did not wish any of the prosecution witnesses to attend for cross-examination,” the ruling stated, a decision that left the prosecution’s evidence untested.
Magistrate Kamara underscored that there was “no evidence before this court that the defendant possessed a lawful license or authority to possess the ammunition,” a key requirement under the law. With all elements of the offence satisfied, the court held that “there is credible evidence that the defendant was found in possession of ammunition, the ammunition was confirmed by ballistic examination, and the defendant admitted possession.”
The ruling ended with a decisive order: “Accordingly, I hold that a prima facie case has been established.” Kamara was formally committed to the High Court to stand trial and “shall remain in custody pending trial before the High Court of Justice.”
As the case moves to the High Court, it adds to growing public attention on the enforcement of Sierra Leone’s arms and ammunition laws, particularly at security checkpoints, where a single live round can now carry consequences that echo far beyond a routine stop.
