Former Vice President, Victor Bockarie Foh and five senior members of the erstwhile President Koroma led All Peoples Congress (APC) government investigated by the Anti Corruption Commission on the Hajj –Gate scandal, yesterday 22nd August 2018, made their first appearance before Justice Reginald Fynn at the Freetown High Court.

The ACC indictees, Sheka Sahid Kamara (1st accused) Victor Bockarie Foh (2nd accused and former Vice President of Sierra Leone), Minkailu Mansaray (3rd accused, former Mines Minister), Mohamed Alie Bah (4th accused), Ibrahim Fackeh Conteh (5th accused) and Abu Bakarr Carew (6th accused, former Permanent Secretary Ministry of Social Welfare), were docked on eight counts of corruption charges.
The charges ranged from conspiracy to commit a corruption, misappropriation of public funds, engaging in a project without prior planning, knowingly misleading the commission to willfully failing to comply with the applicable procedure and guidelines relating to the management of funds.

All accused persons were on diverse dates between 1st January and 30th September 2017 alleged to have conspired to commit corruption offences by siphoning the sum of Eighty Thousand United States Dollars (USD $80,000) donated to the Government of Sierra Leone for Muslims to perform pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.

The particulars of offence alleged in Count 1 that, Sheka Sahid Kamara (1st accused), being the former Special Assistant to former President Koroma and former Secretary for the 2017 Hajj Committee, Victor Bockarie Foh, former Vice President of Sierra Leone and supervisor of the 2017 Hajj Committee, Minkailu Mansaray, former Minister of Mines, and ex Chairman 2017 Hajj Executive Committee,

Mohamed Alieu Bah, former Minister of State Office of the Vice President and a member of the Hajj committee, Abu Bakarr Carew former Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Social Welfare Gender and Children’s Affairs on dates unknown between 1st of January and 30th September 2017, conspired to engage in a project without prior planning to wit, conspired to undertake preparation for the 2017 Hajj pilgrimage without prior planning. Count 2 further alleged that, Sheka Sahid Kamara, Victor Foh, Minkalu Mansaray, Mohamed Aliue Bah and Abu Bakarr Carew on the above date engaged in a project without prior planning to wit; undertook preparation for 2017 Hajj without planning.

Count 3 also states that Sheka Sahid Kamara, Victor Foh, conspired to misappropriate public fund in the sum of Eighty Thousand United States Dollars ($80,000) being fund donated to the government of Sierra Leone for the benefit of Sierra Leonean pilgrims.Count 4, that Sheka Sahid Kamara and Victor Foh, misappropriated the sum of Eighty Thousand United States Dollars.($80,000)

Count 5 furthered claimed that, Sheka Sahid Kamara, Victor Foh, Ibrahim Fackeh Conteh and Minkailu Manasaray conspired to knowingly mislead the ACC to wit, made statement to the investigators that the sum of Sixty Thousand United States Dollars was handed over to the second accused, Victor Foh by the first accused, Sheka Sahid Kamara, when the actual amount was Eighty Thousand United States Dollars($80,000). Count 7 also states that, the 1st accused Sheka Sahid Kamara, date between 1st July and 30th September 2017 misappropriated the sum of Three Hundred Million Leones donated to the government of Sierra Leone for Muslim intending to perform Hajj in Saudi Arabia. Count 8 also furthered that Abu Bakarr Carew on diverse dates between 1st to the 30th August 2017 failed to comply by the appropriate procedure by approving the withdrawal of Three Hundred and Fourteen Thousand United States Dollars by Sheka Sahid Kamara, from the Hajj Ecobank Account No.003001012636100 284.

All accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges. During the trial, the prosecutor, Justice Biobele Georgewill requested an adjournment to allow services of full disclosure of all documents pertaining to the matter on the defence counsels, and also confirmed their bail conditions at the ACC.

However, counsel representing the 3rd accused, Lawyer Yada H. Williams was not adverse to the application but insisted on services to prevent trial by armed bush.
Justice Fynn adopted the bail conditions of the ACC, and thereby requested the Master and Registrar to issues the appropriate papers of the Court’s conditions to all accused persons and instructed that services of disclosure of all documents be done on or before 29th August 2018.

The matter adjourned to 26th September 2018 for further hearing.

The 1st accused is represented by Lawyer A. Bundu-Conteh,, Lawyer, Hindolo M Gavao for the 2nd accused, Lawyer Yada Williams for the 3rd accused, Lawyer S.James the 4th accused while Lawyer

Lansana Dumbuya represents the 5th and 6th accused persons respectively.