By Fatima Kpaka
FREETOWN — The High Court of Sierra Leone has sentenced Mohamed Dumbuya, an Operational Support Division (OSD) officer, to 25 years imprisonment after convicting him of unlawful possession of drugs, contrary to Section 8(a) of the National Drugs Control Act of 2008 (Act No. 10 of 2008).
The ruling was delivered on Friday, November 28, 2025, by Hon. Justice Mark Ngegba, who found the officer guilty of possessing 50 grams of kush without lawful authority.
The Case
Dumbuya was arraigned before the court and initially pleaded not guilty. The prosecution alleged that he was found with 93 wraps of dried leaves suspected to be kush, weighing 50 grams, along with an additional loose quantity of the same substance.
To prove its case, the prosecution called two witnesses. Joseph Stevens, a forensic specialist attached to the Transnational Organized Crime Unit (TOCU), testified that laboratory tests confirmed the seized substances were kush.
The second witness, Detective Police Sergeant Prince Joe Kpandiwa Jabati, also attached to TOCU, testified that his investigation provided compelling evidence for the matter to be charged to court.
Judgment
Delivering his verdict, Justice Ngegba said the prosecution had presented sufficient evidence proving that the substance found in Dumbuya’s possession was an illegal drug. He noted that the defendant failed to discharge the burden of proving lawful possession, as required under Section 17 of the National Drugs Control Act.
“The prosecution has proven its case beyond reasonable doubt,” Justice Ngegba declared, before sentencing Dumbuya to 25 years imprisonment.
The judge further emphasized that the ruling underscores the judiciary’s commitment to tackling drug-related offences, particularly the growing kush epidemic that continues to devastate Sierra Leone’s youth.