Cyberbullying Case Against Travel Agency CEO Stalls Over Legal Objection
By Alhaji Turay
On Tuesday, 26 August 2025, a high-profile cyberbullying case involving the CEO of Malador Travel Agency came before Magistrate Mustapha Briama Jah at Pademba Road Court No.1 in Freetown. The accused is facing a charge under the Cyber Security and Crime Act of 2021.
Lead defense counsel, C.I. Williams, raised a preliminary objection, urging the court not to proceed with the matter. He cited Section 44(3)(a) and (c) of the Act, arguing that the case had already been reported to the police in 2024 by the accused. Williams further claimed that the complainant, a serving RSLAF officer, failed to cooperate with police investigations.
He submitted that continuing the matter would “offend the conscience of justice,” referencing the Supreme Court case SCK 1-2017 (State vs. Abraham Lavahli and 9 Others), and asked the court to stay proceedings until the complainant complies with the earlier investigation.
Prosecutor Daniel Koroma objected, dismissing the defense’s reliance on the Supreme Court case as “epileptic and irrelevant.” He argued that no evidence had been presented to support the claim that the complainant evaded police investigations.
“This matter concerns cyberbullying, not false pretenses,” Prosecutor Koroma emphasized, adding that the police acted on the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). “My lord, this is a court of law, and we rely on evidence none has been provided by the defense.”
Delivering a brief ruling, Magistrate Jah said: “Having listened to the defense’s submission and the prosecution’s objection, I am satisfied that the charge before this court relates to cyberbullying. If the defense has objections, they should be raised during the trial. I therefore order the registry to put the charge to the accused.”
However, the charge could not be read due to a faulty sentence in the statement of offence. The magistrate granted the accused self-bail and adjourned the matter to September 1, 2025, for further hearing.
