Three Police Officers Face Justice For Robbery
By Fatima Sesay
Three Police Officers, James Turner, Foday Samking and Mohammed Saio Kamara, were on Thursday 28 August 2025 sent on remand by Magistrate Mustapha Briama Jah of Pademba Road Court No.1 for allegedly robbing monies and iPhones from different people at Rokel Village .
They were arrainged before the court on eight related count charges ranging from conspiracy, robbery with aggravation, wounding, and assault, all contrary to Section 23(1)(a) of the Larceny Act 1916, as repealed and replaced by the schedule of the Abolition of the Death Penalty Act 2021 (Act No.6), and Section 47 of the Offences Against the Persons Act 1861.
The charge sheet indicated that all three accused persons, between 30th July and 2nd August 2025, at Fengray Street, Rokel Village, in Freetown, conspired together to commit robbery with aggravation.
The charge sheet furthered that the accused persons on 2nd August 2025 at the same location, robbed Sahr Koroma and Hawa Komba of the sum of twenty thousand new Leones, one iPhone Pro Max and two power banks, all valued at twenty-eight thousand nine hundred new Leones.
It was further alleged that the accused persons also maliciously wounded and assaulted Bundu Ngegba, Sento Conteh, Hawa Komba, and Sahr Koroma, thereby occasioning them actual bodily harm.
The police also alleged that the third accused person, Mohamed Saio Kamara, on the said date, commanded Yaraba Kamara, Sylvanus Josiah, Abu Bonborlai Conteh, James Turner and Foday Samking to commit robbery with aggravation.
In her testimony, Inspector Fashila Johnson recognized all the accused persons as police personnels attached at the Ross Road Police Station.
She recalled on diverse dates between 30th July and the 2nd August 2025.
Inspector Johnson further that on 2 August 225, She was going through her messages on her phone when she saw a post about the accused persons, which related to armed robbery.
She further told the court that on Monday 4th August 2025, she was called by the head of the Criminal Investigation Department, Assistant Commissioner of Police Jalloh, and upon arrival at his office, she was given details of the crime committed by the accused persons, since they were under his supervision as head
The witness furthered that she then told Commissioner Jalloh that the accused persons, especially the first accused, James Turner, has been engaging in different bad conducts: conducting operations, during which they requested for a lot of money from people.
The witness continued that the matter was transferred to the CID HQ for investigation, adding that during investigation the accused persons accepted their crimes and were dismissed from the police Force and charged to court.
She ended that she also made statement to the police.
The witness was cross-examined by Defense Counsel Chernor Kamara.
They were denied bail and the matter was adjourned to 4 September 2025 for continuation.
