By Mohamed Foday Conteh
The Court of Appeal in Freetown has on the 3rd June 2021 nullified the Jaiama Chiefdom, Bo district chieftaincy election in the wake of a petition filed at the High Court citing that the election had traits of malfeasance.
Augustine Maada Kemoh Luseni Vandi-Yah and Karteh Foday Bassie were the two front-runners when the election was conducted on 19th October 2019. Karteh Foday Bassie was declared the winner after the National Electoral Commission (NEC) announced the result.
Six days after the result was announced, Vandi-Yah contested the said outcome, citing it was marred with many irregularities, fraudulent and improper procedures, all in the favor of Paramount Chief Bassie.
Alfred Kamanda, counsel representing Vandi-Yah prodded the court to declare the 1st respondent’s paramount chieftaincy rights nullified since he had allegedly used surreptitious means to come to the throne. He further suggested that his client should be the one to hold the office instead.
Kamanda presented his argument in line with a suggestion for a rerun election on a specific and convenient date that the court deems fit. He asked for the court to order for an interlocutory injunction against the first respondent who had been sworn in as Paramount Chief.
Counsel for the Petitioner, Alfred Kamanda Esq prayed that the court declares that the 1st Respondent was not duly elected Paramount Chief, and further implored the court to declare the Petitioner (Augustine Maada Kemoh Luseni Vandi-Yah) as the duly elected Paramount Chief.
Defense Counsel, C. Vandi did not accede to the allegations and he presented several witnesses to corroborate his point of view.
Momodu Turay Jabbie, a losing candidate in the 1st round denied allegations of seeing the Treasury Clerk selling local tax and councilor’s receipt.
Similarly, 1st respondent, Bassie denied the allegations inked on the petition. He further said that the election was free and fair and that voters were declared eligible by a list presenting the names of voters that had receipts of 2018 to 2019 local tax.
It was on this backdrop that presiding judge, Tonia Barnett ruled that Bassie, the 1st respondent was not elected on procedural grounds and ordered NEC to conduct another election within 2 months between the petitioner and the 1st respondent.
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