By Francis H. Murray
The Chief Justice of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Desmond Babatunde Edwards has ordered for the arrest of the head of the Environment Protection Agency Sierra Leone (EPA-SL), the Chief Administrator of the Freetown City Council (FCC) and the Managing Director of Radisson Blu Hotel for failing to comply with court orders.
The order was made yesterday during the start of the criminal session of the High Court in Freetown.
The officials were declared wanted because of the absence of members of their institutions who were summoned to serve as jurors in this year’s criminal session holding at the High Court.
Upon request from the Chief Justice, the Under Sheriff of the court confirmed that he did not receive any reasons from any of the absent jurors for not making it to court.
Addressing the jurors who were present, the Chief Justice noted that the absence of jurors after they have been summoned by the court amounted to contempt of court and punishable by law either by paying fine or even imprisonment.
He went on to note that stricter measures will be taken against jurors who will be absent from court without any reasonable reason.
‘‘This time, it’s it going to be extremely strict when it comes to absenteeism on the part of jurors. We talk a lot in this country about public servants and when we’re called to serve, we don’t want to serve,’’ the CJ lamented.
He noted that the failure to comply with a court order is a punishable offense and liable to a fine, an imprisonment or even loosing of property, be it moveable or not.
Meanwhile, a total of eighty two cases of various criminal offenses are set for the start of the September Session at the High Court. The most dominant among them are cases of robbery with aggravation and violence, which total seventeen, followed by sexual penetration, which totals fifteen.
Murder cases amount to six, with the other offenses trailing at the bottom.
Among the eighty-two accused persons, only twenty-six are on remand at correctional facilities, whilst the remaining are on bail.
The session continues tomorrow.
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