News

By Crispina Cummings

A senior official of the Ministry of Defence has told the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee that military personnel could not attend yesterday's hearing because they were on a one-day holiday approved by defence minister, Pallo Conteh after Armed Forces Day activities.

Director General Sadik Kapuwa who appeared alongside Permanent Secretary James Freeman and accountant Joshua Ellie said it's now a tradition for "soldiers to stand down" for a day after Armed Forces Day.

By Septimus Senessie in Kono

Residents of Bangambaya Community in Sandor Chiefdom, Kono district have written an open letter to the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), requesting it to complete a Le 38 million project that has been left idle.

The money was supposed to have been used for the construction of a warehouse and drying floor for processing their proceeds and storage facilities.

Paolo Conteh, Defence Minister

Sierra Leone's human rights commission, HRCSL, has expressed serious concern over the continued detention of 18 soldiers for six months.

They were arrested in August last year mainly at the Tekko Barracks in Makeni on allegations that they were plotting to mutiny and overthrown the government.

VP Sam-Sumana

By Septimus Senessie in Kono

Vice President Samuel Sam Sumana has come under attack by some people in his native district of Kono who openly accused him of “being anti-developmental against his own district”.

By Mohamed T Massaquoi

Police in Pujehun have confirmed the discovery yesterday of the remains of a 28-year-old woman, Mamie Kawa found dead on a footpath around Mapco area by Nganyahun Road in Malen chiefdom, six miles from the chiefdom headquarter town of Sahn.

In what the constabulary suspect to be a ritual murder, pregnant Mamie's private part, her sole and palm were removed. Her stomach was also slit open with her foetus suspected to have also been removed.

The near-decomposed body was discovered by two old women.

By Mustapha Sesay

The deputy vice chancellor of Fourah Bay College, Prof. Sahr Philip Gbamanja, has said that they will ban all taxis not roadworthy, from plying the road to campus on Mount Aureol. A move that has been roundly condemned by taxi drivers.

Prof Gbamanja made this statement while commissioning two new buses.

Rev Davies

By Mustapha Sesay and Crispina Cummings

The rippled effects of the new method of selecting candidates for the school-leaving WASSCE exams are reverberating with the latest being heads of private schools.