John Shari Law Conteh, a herbalist, was sentenced to incarceration by Principal Magistrate Mark Ngegba at Pademba Road Court No.1 in Freetown.

The verdict came after Conteh pleaded guilty to charges of possessing human bones, a skull, and small arms and ammunition without the necessary license.

Appearing before the court for the first time, the accused faced a total of five charges. These charges included possession of small arms without a license, unlawful concealment of arms, practicing sorcery, and possession of sorcery-related instruments. All of these charges were in direct violation of the state’s laws.

According to the charge sheet, the accused was found in control of small arms without a license and unlawfully concealing two short guns without lawful authority in Newton, Waterloo, on Tuesday, May 2, 2023.

In addition, the police alleged that Conteh was also in possession of various items, including a human skull wrapped with red thread, a half-suspected human bone, an old aluminum chain, three bottles containing substances suspected to be native medicine, a small calabash, a cup containing red substance suspected to be human blood, a box containing red clothes, and a cap suspected to be made from cobra skin.

Upon hearing the charges and their explanations, the accused pleaded guilty to all the offenses brought against him. Sergeant 9939 Lahai, the prosecutor, informed the court that during the next adjourned date, he would present the exhibits to the clerk to be tendered as evidence before the court.

The accused has been remanded in custody until June 28, 2023, when the case will resume for further hearing.