Dr Richard Konteh
By Aminata Phidelia Allie
Sacked State House Chief of Staff of Sierra Leone has been sent to jail shortly after a magistrate court refused him bail in a 17-count charge involving him and two others.
Dr Richard Konteh who was sacked early this month is alleged to have forged a presidential order giving clearance for the export of Value Added Timber out of the country.
Dr. Konteh, alongside a timber export tycoon, Alie Suma and another Leslie Peter Crosbie, is under preliminary investigations for alleged conspiracy, forgery, altering forged document and wilful evasion of export duties amounting to over Le 4 billion (about US$ million).
The three allegedly committed the crimes between 1st February 2013 and 31st May this year.
Testifying as first prosecution witness, Acting Director of Forestry at the Ministry of Agriculture said a public notice prohibiting the export of value added timber by “stake holders” was put out sometime this year. He identified a copy of the said notice, which, after much argument between defense and prosecuting counsels, was tendered in court as evidence.
William Bangura also identified a copy of an alleged executive clearance letter which was also tendered before the jam-packed high court room presided over by magistrate Kamanda whose courtroom could not accommodate the crowd that had turned out for the hearing.
PW1 told the court that he could not trace the originals of the tendered documents which subsequently saw the tendering of photocopies thereof, which are not accepted under normal circumstances. The testimony, however, had to be cut short as the magistrate decided to adjourn the matter.
Bail applications by the defense were turned down, even when the medical condition of the first accused (Alie Suma), was brought up.
Magistrate Kamanda ordered that they be remanded at the country’s maximum security prison - Pademba Road - until the next adjourned date of Monday June 30 “because of the serious nature of the allegations”.
Announcing the adjourned date, the magistrate urged the lawyers to help him expedite the preliminary investigations.
(C) Politico Online 27/06/14
