By Esther Wright
In a case that has captured widespread public interest, two Lebanese nationals, Hussein Antar and Jamal Antar, were remanded in custody on August 30, 2024, over allegations of importing bomb-making materials into Sierra Leone.
The pair, along with a Sierra Leonean co-accused, Sulaiman Barrie, appeared before Magistrate Santigie Bangura at the Pademba Road Court No. 2 on Thursday, August 29, 2024. The trio faces a total of thirty charges, including conspiracy, illegal importation and possession of arms manufacturing materials, aiding and abetting the commission of a crime and attempting to pervert the course of justice.
The charges further extend to financing the transportation and stockpiling of chemical weapons without proper licensing. According to the prosecution, the accused conspired between October 2023 and July 2024 to illegally import bomb-making materials into Sierra Leone.
Court documents reveal that 65-year-old businessman. Hussein Antar and his unemployed co-defendant, Jamal Antar, also 65, allegedly funded the illicit transportation of these materials. The prosecution claims that the materials were moved from the Queen Elizabeth II Quay in Freetown to a residence in the Madina community, Waterloo.
In a related charge, the defendants also face accusations of importing prohibited drugs without lawful authority during the same period.
The courtroom drama intensified when the third defendant, 25-year-old Sulaiman Barrie, collapsed due to illness, leading to an emotional scene involving his mother. Legal representatives from both sides were present, with Yusif Isaac Sesay Esq. leading the prosecution for the state and Daniel Koroma Esq. defending the accused.
Despite the defense’s pleas, bail was denied, and the three accused were remanded in custody as the court adjourned the case to September, 2nd 2024 for further hearing.
