VZCZCXRO4298
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHFN #0157/01 1211213
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 011213Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY FREETOWN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2605
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 FREETOWN 000157 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR AF/W (JHUNTER) 
 
E.O. 12958 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM PINR SL
 
SUBJECT: LAND MARK COCAINE SENTENCE HANDED DOWN 
 
REF: 08 FREETOWN 336 
FREETOWN 152 
FREETWON 154 
 
¶1. SUMMARY: Justice Nicholas Colin Browne-Marke, Justice of the 
Appeals Court and Presiding Judge on the Sierra Leone's cocaine case 
(reftels A and B), handed custodian sentences and fines to all 
fifteen accused persons on Tuesday April 21.  For the accused Sierra 
Leoneans, the fines ranged from 25 million Leones (8,000 USD) to 300 
million Leones (100,000 USD) and the sentences ranged from two years 
to five years. The fines for the accused foreigners ranged from 1.5 
million to 4 million USD, with prison sentences of five years. This 
cable serves to provide details of the final sentencing for all 
those convicted in the case noted in reftels.  END SUMMARY 
 
--------- 
SENTENCING 
--------- 
 
¶2. On Tuesday April 21, Justice Nicolas Colin Browne-Marke, Justice 
of the Appeals Court and Presiding Judge for the cocaine trial in 
Sierra Leone, handed down custodian sentences and fines to all 
fifteen accused persons.  The accused were convicted and sentenced 
on varying combinations of five counts.  Count I, for the 
'importation of a prohibited drug without lawful authority contrary 
to the law'; Count II, for 'accessory after the fact to the 
importation of a prohibited drug without lawful authority'; Count 
IV, for 'possession of a prohibited drug without lawful authority'; 
Count V, for 'conspiracy to import a prohibited drug without lawful 
authority'; and Count VI, for 'knowingly and willfully displaying a 
false mark on an aircraft contrary to the law'.  None of the accused 
were convicted on Count III, 'misprision of felony'. 
 
¶3. Sentencing was as follows: 
 
George Aritstizabel Archilla, Victor Manuel Araujo Lastreto, and 
Julio Cesar Morales-Cruz, the first, second and third accused 
respectively, were each convicted on all five counts.  They were 
each fined a total of four million dollars and sentenced to five 
years imprisonment. 
 
Harvey Steven Perez, the eighth accused, was convicted on Counts II 
and V.  He was fined a total of five million dollars and sentenced 
to five years imprisonment 
 
Gerardo Quistana Perez, the ninth accused, was convicted on Counts 
II and V.  He was fined a total of two million dollars and sentenced 
to five years imprisonment. 
 
Yeimy Fernandez Leandro, the tenth accused, was convicted on Counts 
II and V.  He was fined a total of three million dollars and 
sentenced to five years imprisonment. 
 
Mohamed Bashil Sesay (AKA Ahmed Sesay), the fourth accused, was 
convicted on Count V.  He was fined 300 million Leones and sentenced 
to five years imprisonment. 
 
Hassan Karim Mansaray, the fifth accused, was convicted on Count V. 
He was fined 100 million Leones and sentenced to two years 
imprisonment. 
 
Patrick Moriba Bah, the sixth accused, was convicted on Count V.  He 
was fined 25 million Leones and sentenced to five years 
imprisonment. 
 
Chernor Momodu Bah, the seventh accused, was convicted on Count V. 
He was fined 150 million Leones and sentenced to five years. 
 
Alex Romeo and Sadjo Sarr, the eleventh and sixteenth accused 
respectively, were each convicted on Count V.  They were both fined 
1.5 million dollars and sentenced to five years imprisonment. 
 
Ibrahim Mohamed Manley and Alimamy Kabia, the twelfth and fifteenth 
accused respectively, were convicted on Count V.  They were both 
fined 150 million Leones and sentenced to five years imprisonment. 
 
Mohamed Musa Kamara, eighteenth accused, was convicted on Count V. 
He was fined 50 million Leones and sentenced to three years 
imprisonment. 
 
----------------------------------- 
CONSEQUENTIAL ORDERS: RESTITUTIONAL, 
CONFISCATION FORFEITURE 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶3. The Judge ruled that all the accused persons have a right to 
appeal within twenty-one days. He ordered that arms and ammunitions 
found in the residences, vehicles or on the persons of the accused 
should be handed over to the Chief of Defense Staff of the Sierra 
Leone Armed Forces. The judge ordered that the passports of the 
 
FREETOWN 00000157  002 OF 002 
 
 
Sierra Leoneans be handed over to the Chief Immigration Officer and 
the passports of the foreigners be kept in the court. All monies 
seized from any of the accused persons and tendered in court as 
exhibit should be used in the payment of the fines of the affected 
accused persons. He ordered that the aircraft used to transport the 
cocaine be sold on May 5 and that the cocaine should be destroyed 
within forty-eight hours. The judge also recommended an expulsion 
order for the accused foreigners. He ordered that all vehicles 
seized in connection with the case be handed over to the Master and 
Registrar of the High Court with exception of one Mercedes Truck, 
which should be returned to the President's Office. 
 
 
------------------------- 
AFTERMATH OF THE SENTENCE 
------------------------- 
 
¶4. Sierra Leoneans have shown mixed reactions to the verdict and 
sentencing, feeling that the punishment was too light.  Others had 
expressed skepticism that the cocaine would be intact by the time it 
was destroyed.   However, the cocaine was eventually destroyed in a 
legitimate public ceremony on 23 April witnessed by embassy 
personnel and other international observers(reftel C).