By Mustapha Kamara jnr
Chairman of the Board of Directors, Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority, Reverend Michael Samura, has revealed that the authority was planning to take legal actions against the country’s Chief Immigration Officer, Kholifa Koroma, for allegedly violating the human rights of a traffic Warden attached to the authority.
Addressing a press conference in Freetown yesterday, Samura also condemned the actions of the Sierra Leone Police for the incarcerating Musa Kamara, who was on duty at Siaka Stevens Street as a traffic warden, referring to the arrest and detention as “unlawful”.
He pointed out that Parliament had conferred specific powers and immunities upon traffic wardens in the performance of their duties as stipulated in the Road Transport Authority Act No.5 of 2003 as amended.
Samura said that wardens were faced with numerous challenges with regards to the police, whom he said they were to supposed to work with collaboratively in order to ensure safety and security in the country. He stated that every citizen should abide by the laws of the land if the country was to progress in the right direction.
The SLRSA board secretary, Sama Gamanga, recommended a compensation for Musa Kamara (warden in the midst of the controversy), by the immigration boss “for the injustice meted on him”.
“He was unlawfully arrested and detained for four days before the matter was charged to court”, Gamanga explained.
Even when the matter was charged to court, the complainant never showed up in all appearances in court, reports of the proceeding indicated.
Musa Kamara expressed dissatisfaction over the incident and demanded that justice be done accordingly without fear or favor.
© Politico 28/01/15
