Samuel Hallowell and Aruna Turay both officers of the Sierra Leone Police, Mohamed Dumbuya of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces and a civilian Musa Tarawally were arrested in Pamlap a stone throw from Makeni on 10 October 2014 for being in possession of Cannabis Sativa without lawful excuse.
They spent one day each in detention at the Pamlap, Congo Cross and the Criminal Investigations Department Headquarters (CID) on Pademba Road while the matter was being investigated. It was consequently charged to court on the 13 October 2014.
The matter was first heard at the Magistrate Court presided over by Magistrate Komba Kamanda. It was committed to the High Court on 14 August 2014 presided over by Justice Miata.
The police and military officers spent sixty-nine days on remand at the Pademba Road Correctional Center before they were granted bail. The civilian, Musa Tarawally spent one year seven months on remand because he could not secure a security.
The Legal Aid Board started representing the four accused persons in October 2016. On 16 November 2016 the State Counsel informed the court that the last witness is absent and that efforts at getting him to court in the past have been futile. As a result, Lawyer Cheryl Sembie of the Legal Aid Board applied for the accused persons to be discharged. This was upheld by the Justice Samba.
During pre-discharge briefing at the head of the Legal Aid Board at the Guma Building, the four released men expressed relief at putting the matter behind them. Shortly afterwards, the two police officers immediately approached the PRO of the Legal Aid Board Dreck Nat-George to request assistance with reinstating them in the police force. The officers drew attention to the fact that their former co-accused the military officer, Mohamed Dumbuya has not been dismissed from the in the army despite the charge against him.
