By Hajaratu Kalokoh and Mohamed Jaward Nyallay
Three Commissions of Inquiry (COI) established to probe the former administration of Ernest Bai Koroma resumed their public hearing after a month-long break. All three judges were present in their respective court rooms yesterday to continue with proceedings.
In Commission room one, in front of Justice Biobele Georgewill, the case regarding the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Resources and the National Minerals Agency continued.
State Counsel, Robin Mason led witnesses who were later cross-examined by defense counsels.
The current Director General of NMA, Julius Daniel Martia took the stand and explained some of his roles.
The agency was established in 2013 by an Act of Parliament to help coordinate some of the activities in the booming mining sector in the country and has come under the spotlight for how it conducted business under the last administration.
Peter Bangura, Director of Mines at NMA, was also recalled to the stand during this hearing to explain some of the roles of the agency’s Board and those of the negotiating team that was based at State House.
According to Bangura, there was a mining negotiating team based at State House which served as a technical team who negotiated on behalf of government. He explained that that same team had agreed license terms with mining companies and then sent them to parliament for approval.
Mr Bangura was cross-examined by Ady Macauley, who is the lead defense counsel for former Mines Minister, Minkailu Mansaray and his then deputy Abdul Ignosis Koroma. Mansaray and Koroma are both persons of interest in this case.
In commission number two, Justice Bankole Thompson started a fresh inquiry in the Ministry of Agriculture. The latest inquiry focuses on cash transfers that were made to farmers under former Minister of Agriculture, Professor Monty Jones. Professor Jones is one of the persons of interest in this case.
The probe into the Ministry of Agriculture has taken more time than any other case in the commission. Before the judges took a break, the commission was looking at fertilizer deals that went wrong in the ministry.
This fresh probe will focus on bank transactions, beneficiaries and other compartments surrounding that cash payment scheme that the ministry rolled out across the country.
In commission room three, Defense Counsels cross-examined witnesses from the construction industry. Mohamed Gento Kamara of Gento Construction Company and Papa Chendekah of Secon construction stood in the dock.
The commission is set to resume its work on Wednesday. The lead judge, Justice Georgewill said the second phase of their work would be swift as they tried to wrap up as many cases as possible.
The first hearing was conducted in January 2019.
The hearings are expected to last between six to nine months.
© 2019 Politico Online
