Counterfeit Cash and Illegal Guns: Four Suspects Committed to High Court for Trial

Four accused persons, Umar Baimba Kamara, Joseph Kabia alias “Manager,” Alhaji Moseray Kabba, and Momoh Kamara have been committed to the High Court for trial on serious charges related to counterfeiting and firearm possession.

The defendants appeared for their second hearing before Magistrate Mustapha Braima Jah at Pademba Road Court No. 1 in Freetown, where the case was formally committed for high court proceedings.

They face a 17-count indictment, including conspiracy to defraud, conspiracy to commit felony, possession of forged banknotes, counterfeiting of banknotes, forgery of banknotes contrary to Section 2(1)(c) of the Forgery Act of 1913, and possession and custody of arms without a license contrary to Section 22(1) of the Sierra Leone Arms and Ammunition Act 2023 (Act No. 24 of 2023).

According to the indictment, between July 15 and 19, 2025, Umar Baimba Kamara, Joseph Kabia, and Momoh Kamara conspired to obtain goods by false pretenses. In October 2024, all four defendants allegedly collaborated to forge Sierra Leonean banknotes.

On July 19, 2025, at Wellington in Freetown, Alhaji Moseray Kabba was allegedly caught counterfeiting 250 fake twenty-Leone notes purportedly printed by the Bank of Sierra Leone. On July 21, 2025, Joseph Kabia was found in Rokupa, Wellington, in possession of the same counterfeit currency.

Umar Baimba Kamara was also accused of printing the counterfeit notes at Red Pump, Tengebeh Town, and found in possession of a Glock 22 pistol, two magazines, and forty-four live rounds, all without lawful authority.

Prosecution witness Sergeant 9939 Mohamed Lahai, attached to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at Pademba Road, testified that he recognized the defendants during investigation. He said that on July 22, 2025, he received a transfer case and inquiry files from Kissy Police Division involving counterfeit banknotes and related offenses. The files included search warrants and multiple statements from the defendants, which he examined and processed, including verification requests to the Bank of Sierra Leone.

Witnesses also obtained voluntary caution statements from each defendant in Krio, recorded in English, which they confirmed as true and correct by affixing thumbprints. These statements were tendered as evidence in court.

The case file was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for legal advice, and upon receipt, all four defendants were formally charged on August 7, 2025. The charges were read in court and entered into the records.

The defendants, who were unrepresented by legal counsel during the proceedings, will now face trial at the High Court. Magistrate Jah expressed confidence in the prosecution’s evidence and committed all four defendants to the male correctional facility in Freetown to await trial.