The sentencing of 15 cocaine convicts by presiding Judge, Justice Browne Marke was accompanied by a court order for the Director of Civil Aviation to value and sell the 20 seater aircraft which brought in the cocaine to the highest bidder. The court gave a time limit of the 5th May for the valuation process of the aircraft to be expedited.
Speaking to this press in an exclusive interview, the Master and Registrar of the Law Court of Sierra Leone, Mr. Edwin Bailor disclosed that the Director of Civil Aviation has concluded the valuation process and the plane has been valued for $US100, 000.The Master Registrar further explained to this press that he will have to seek advice from the Executive Director of Public Procurement on how to go about tendering the aircraft for the acceptance of bids.
Ten vehicles that are also related to the cocaine case are presently packed in the court yard. The Master and Registrar intimated that some of the vehicles need some mechanical attention before they could determine what to be done with them.
The small 20 seater Cessna aircraft dramatically landed at the Freetown International Airport under cover of darkness at around 3am Sunday morning.
The aircraft which came in from Venezuela had two different registration marks on either side. On the left side of the aircraft was YV 1647 and on the right side was SQ 2261.
The pilots and other occupants of the aircraft were reported to have abandoned the plane and jumped into a waiting vehicle which crashed through the gate at the far end of the perimeter fence and drove straight to the far end of the airport along where abandoned aircrafts are packed.
Upon inspection of the aircraft 24 cartons containing packets of cocaine that were reported to have weighed around 725kilos with an estimated street value of around $200 million was discovered. The said plane was kept in the custody of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Sierra Leone Police and the Air Port Authority.
They occupants of the aircraft apparently exited the same way, leaving behind 5 rifles which were found to be 4 AK-47s and 1 AK-58 with around 369 rounds of ammunition. These were found in the bush close by the gate.
Three of the convicted persons have since been expelled to the United States.
By William Freeman and Emmanuella Kallon