By Saio Marrah
Justice Adrian Fisher of the High Court of Sierra Leone has warned the Executive members of the Interim Transition Governance Committee (ITGC) of the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) that they would be jailed for contempt of court if they continue acting contrary to orders of the court’s ruling.
The judge said this at the hearing on Monday of the application for the extension of the date for lower level election of the political party.
Justice Fisher was responding to Jessie Jengo, counsel for the plaintiff, who had told the court that his client the committee Chairman Alfred Peter Conteh on the 18th January this year wrote a letter informing members about a meeting the following day, but noted that none of the members of the committee responded to the letter via their WhatsApp group or commented about whether to proceed with the meeting.
He said the letter was addressed to the Secretary General of the ITGC, Abdul Kargbo and that the letter was later sent to their forum.
He further informed the court that one of the members of the committee, Chernor Sesay described the said letter as “trash” in the WhatsApp group and another member of the committee, a member of parliament, Abdul Karim Kamara commented with a sarcastic remaks
Counsel Jengo further noted that members of the committee have been making statements that they all have equal powers just like Conteh.
Jengo informed the court that those are the petty things happening in the committee, while noting that they need to come together and work as a team.
He however appealed to Justice Fisher to continue being magnanimous to them when he stayed his previous orders for the expiration date for the conduct of the lower level election. He appealed for the extension of the lower level election date.
On behalf of the defendants, Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma and others, Counsel Adewale Showers argued that the secretary general of the committee did not receive the said letter calling for a meeting.
He also joined the plaintiff’s counsel by appealing for the extension of the lower level elections for constituencies where petitions were made.
Justice Fisher reminded the committee members that Alfred Peter Conteh is still the Chairman of the ITGC.
The presiding judge said people will be held for contempt of court very soon for going against his orders.
He noted that the most important thing is the progress of the process.
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