News

By Aminata Phidelia Allie

There were jubilant scenes in front of the main law courts building in Freetown yesterday following the release on bail of the sacked State House Chief of Staff and two others.

They had spent 10 days at the country’s maximum security prisons at Pademba Road and refused bail by Magistrate Komba Kamanda during three previous appearances.

The three, including timber businessman Alie Suma and customs official Leslie Peter Crosbie, are standing trial bordering on timber export fraud.

By Mohamed T. Massaquoi

A magistrate in Pujehun has ordered one Amadu Sesay to stand trial at the High Court in the southern city of Bo for the alleged sexual penetration of a minor, contrary to the Sexual Offences Act 2012.

Sesay is the Liaison Officer for the iron ore miner, China Kingho Investments in the Kpaka and Galliness Perri chiefdoms.

By Jenneh Braima

A four-member delegation to the Philippines, led by the Open Government Initiative (OGI), has returned to tell a press conference in Freetown that that country's national action plan (NAP) failed because it was government-driven.

The former Spanish colony’s first national action plan “was government driven which culminated into its failure. Thus, the independent monitors recommended that an active involvement of civil society will enhance confidence in the process.”

VP Sam-Sumana

By Septimus Senessie in Kono

Office of the National Security (ONS) and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) have squarely blamed the country’s Vice President Samuel Sam-Sumana and local government minister, Finda Diana Konomayi for the woes of Kono district.

David Tam-Baryoh

The main opposition Sierra Leone People's Party has condemned the temporary ban of the weekly radio programme Monologue by the Independent Media Commission on the orders of the Sierra Leone cabinet led by President Ernest Bai Koroma.

Dr Richard Konteh

By Aminata Phidelia Allie

A Freetown Magistrate yesterday refused bail for the third time to the sacked State House Chief of Staff , Dr Richard Konteh and three others standing trial for illegally exporting timber against a nationwide ban.