Four men accused of involvement in an alleged fraudulent vehicle licensing operation at the Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority (SLRSA) have been remanded in custody after appearing before Magistrate Mustapha Briama Jah at Pademba Road Court No. 1 in Freetown.
The accused, Mustapha Rogers, 29; Simeon Vibbie, 29, a clearing and forwarding broker; Foday Jayah, 26, an Information Technology (IT) specialist; and Sahid Ahmed Sesay, 32, a licensed agent employed by the SLRSA, are facing 61 criminal charges relating to alleged forgery, conspiracy to defraud and the unlawful production of vehicle licensing documents.
According to the prosecution, the alleged offences occurred on 22 September 2026 at the SLRSA Head Office on Kissy Road in Freetown, where the four defendants allegedly collaborated with other unidentified individuals to defraud the Authority through the preparation and use of fraudulent licensing documents.
The prosecution alleged that Mustapha Rogers and Simeon Vibbie forged a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) sticker bearing serial number 252022235, making it appear as though the document had been officially prepared and issued by the Director of Licences at the SLRSA.
Investigators further alleged that the two defendants knowingly presented the purportedly forged sticker with the intention of deceiving the Authority. They are also accused of printing the document without the lawful authorization required under Sierra Leone’s road traffic legislation.
The case involves allegations of document manipulation and unauthorized licence production, raising questions about the safeguards designed to protect the integrity of vehicle registration and licensing procedures.
The charges brought against the accused include conspiracy to defraud, uttering forged documents, printing licences without lawful authority and forgery, contrary to provisions of the Forgery Act 1913 and the Road Traffic Act 2007.
According to the prosecution’s breakdown, the indictment includes one count of conspiracy to defraud, 14 counts of uttering forged documents under Section 6(1) of the Forgery Act 1913, 15 counts of printing licences without authority under Section 98(a) of the Road Traffic Act 2007, 14 counts of forgery of licences under the same provision and 16 counts of forgery under Section 4(1) of the Forgery Act 1913.
During their first court appearance, the charges were presented, but no plea was taken from the defendants.
The prosecution team, comprising Assistant Superintendent of Police Willigton and Inspector M. K. Taylor, served the indictment in accordance with the Criminal Procedure Act 2024. However, proceedings revealed that only one copy had been served on the lawyer representing the first accused.
Defence counsel subsequently applied for bail on behalf of the four defendants under Section 76(1)(c) of the Criminal Procedure Act No. 8 of 2024.
Lawyers C. B. Brownley and H. Conteh represented the second accused, while M. Conteh and J. A. Sesay appeared for the third accused. Lawyer M. S. Sankoh represented the fourth accused.
After considering the submissions from the defence, Magistrate Mustapha Briama Jah declined to grant bail and ordered that all four defendants remain in custody pending further proceedings.
The matter was adjourned to Wednesday, 4 November 2026, when the court is expected to continue examining the allegations.
The charges remain allegations and none of the accused has been convicted. All four defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in accordance with the law.
The case is expected to attract further attention because of its implications for public confidence in the integrity of vehicle licensing and document authentication procedures at the SLRSA.
