By Kemo Cham
The Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone (HRCSL) says it has resettled a family banished from their village over allegation that they engaged in witchcraft.
Pa Alimamy Sesay and his family – wife and children – were reportedly sent away from Kayasie Village, Safroko Limba Chiefdom in the Bombali District on the orders of the Paramount Chief.
The family spent six months away from home before their resettlement on Tuesday, 26th May, following negotiations championed by the Commission.
According to a news release sent to Politico, HRCSL intervened following a complaint lodged by Mr Sesay who alleged that he’d he was arrested by Town Chief Tamba Kumba (Gurama) on the instruction of Section Chief Milton Koroma and then subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment. Both chiefs were found to have been acting on the orders of Paramount Chief Alimamy Dura II.
HRCSL said in line with Rule 13 of its Complaints, Investigations and Inquiries Rules of 2008, the complaint was assessed on a prima facie of human rights violation. It said its investigations revealed that after been detained, the complainant was beaten by fellow villagers, his house vandalized, and he was then imprisoned by the Chiefdom Speaker.
Mr Sesay was also forced to pay Le100, 000 to the chiefs before he was released, on the condition that he would pay a further sum of Le600.000, in addition to a goat, a ‘jerry-can’ full of palm oil, salt and a bag of rice.
The Commission’s findings revealed that all of these were deemed necessary to prove Sesay’s innocence, in line with tradition.
While Sesay was in detention, according to the HRCSL, his children and wife were chased by youths of Kayasie Village from their farm house, where they had sought refuge outside the village.
After securing his release from detention by the Chiefdom authorities, Sesay reported the matter at the Panlap Police Station in Makeni, citing malicious damage and larceny. He also reported his unlawful banishment to the State Counsel in Makeni.
The Commission said Sesay was forced to report to it through its northern region office after he realized that none of the state institutions – Police and State Council – treated his complaints to satisfaction.
The Commission said the issue raised human rights violations contrary to the country’s laws, hence its decision to pursue it.
“The HRCSL investigations proved that the conducts of the chiefs contravened provisions in the Witchcraft and Sorcery Law, CAP 36 of 1905, which provide the procedures of dealing with matters of witchcraft,” it said in its statement, noting that the beating of the complainant and his subsequent unlawful detention violated Sections 17, 20 and 23 of the Constitution.
“The request that Pa Alimamy Sesay should pay money and provide items to investigate his innocence was against the principles of natural justice; where as his banishment violates Section 18 of the 1991 Constitution,” the Commission added.
It said on notifying PC Alimamy Dura II about the allegations against him and the chiefdom authorities, the chief declined to guarantee the security and the unconditional resettlement of the banished family, citing local tradition.
The Commission noted that national laws superseded traditional laws when in conflict, therefore warranting it to take up the matter with the Provincial Secretary’s office.
After several engagements with the office of the Provincial Secretary (ProSec), the chiefdom authorities eventually agreed to three out of the four recommendations made by the Commission, one of which was the unconditional resettlement of the Sesay family.
Pa Alimay and his family were accompanied to the village by officials of the Commission and the Provincial Secretary’s office, who handed them over to the Section Chief, Milton Koroma.
HRCSL said the Sesay family’s case became the fourth complaint it has so far received against PC Alimamy Dura II and his Chiefdom authorities relating to banishment and inhuman and degrading treatment.
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