By sulaiman.sesay@awokonewspapersl.com
Freetown, SIERRA LEONE – Charles Udom appeared before Magistrate Santigie Bangura at the Pademba Road Court No. 2, facing multiple charges for allegedly possessing, transporting, and dealing in cocaine without lawful authority.
Udom was arraigned on four counts under Sierra Leone’s drug control laws. The charges stem from an incident at the Freetown International Airport in Lungi on Sunday, March 23, 2025, where authorities allege he was found with 25 pellets of cocaine.
According to the police charge sheet, Udom is accused of collecting, transporting, dealing in, and possessing a prohibited drug—each count reflecting a separate breach of national narcotics regulations. He did not enter a plea during the court session.
Sergeant F.M. Wilson led the prosecution and called Detective Sergeant Sahr Sundu of the Transnational Organized Crime Unit as the first witness. Sundu testified that the case was transferred to his unit on March 21, 2025, while he was on duty at the airport.
He told the court that Udom’s voluntary statement and the seized exhibits were handed over to him during the investigation. A forensic analysis conducted on the substance confirmed it to be cocaine. Udom’s written statement, recorded in both Krio and English, was also tendered and accepted as evidence.
Despite the evidence presented, defense counsel A.H. Navo applied for bail on humanitarian grounds, citing the accused’s cooperation, health concerns, and availability of credible sureties. Magistrate Bangura, however, denied the application, expressing concerns over the risk of flight.
The matter was adjourned to May 13, 2025, for further hearing. SKS/9/5/2025
