By Alpha Abu
Dr. Samura Mathew Wilson Kamara is to make his appearance at the Freetown High Court No. 1 today Friday where he and five other men are being tried on corruption charges in relation to the renovation of Sierra Leone’s UN Chancery building in New York, United States.
Dr. Kamara who lost the June Presidential Election to incumbent President Julius Maada Bio resumes court attendance after the Presiding Judge Adrian Fisher in May postponed the trial to allow the politician to participate in the June 24 General Elections.
The five other accused are Saidu Nallo, Adikali Foday Suma, Foday Vahfomba Bawoh, Kandeh Foday Basil Kamara, and John Sanders Davis.
In March this year, Justice Fisher led a team that visited the site of the chancery. Dr. Kamara was expected by the court to travel alongside the judicial team but he did not show up though he was reported to be in the States at the time. Questioned by Justice Fisher about his absence, when proceedings resumed back in Freetown, Dr. Kamara said his lawyers who went to the chancery, had told him that his presence was discretionary.
All the accused face various charges ranging from misappropriation of public funds to fraudulent acquisition of a benefit and abuse of office. According to the charge sheet, the sum of $2,560,000 (two million, five hundred and sixty dollars) that was to be used for the renovation of the building was misappropriated. They have denied the charges.
The men were indicted by the Anti-Corruption Commission of Sierra Leone in November 2021. Dr. Kamara at some point served as Foreign Minister in the government of former President Ernest Bai Koroma.
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