News

By Mabinty M. Kamara

In an effort to address the many concerns raised by property owners mainly in Freetown during the reign of his predecessor Dr. Dennis Sandy, the new minister Dr. Turad Senessi has announced the setting up of a committee to investigate all land- related issues between Apri-2018 and January 2021.

Despite progress registered in the implementation of its anti-money laundering laws, Sierra Leone needs to do more in its efforts to counter the phenomenon, government officials and financial experts have said.

The officials said at a seminar on Anti-Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism (AML/FT) that the country also needs to raise awareness and further strengthen its enforcement mechanism to prevent financial crimes and terrorist activities from taking roots.

The Commissioners of the Independent Media Communication has on the 9^th of February met with the Chief Justice, Desmond Babatunde Edwards to strengthen enforcement of the newly amended IMC Act of 2020.

 The visit by the media regulating body according to an update from the Communication unit of the judiciary was a follow up on an earlier request made for a “draft warrant” to shut down the operations of media houses that failed to comply with their orders and directives pursuant to sections 16(1) of the IMC Act.

The Minister of Environment, Prof. Foday M. Jaward has announced 24^th of February this year as the date for the election of the national executive of the Sierra Leone Timber Association.

The Minister made this announcement during a round table meeting with members of the Timber Association, Forest Division, and Chairman of the Environment Committee in Parliament, National Electoral Commission and Ministry of Internal Affairs at the ministry’s conference hall on Thursday 11^th February 2021.

27-year old Faiya Musa, a physically challenged man has been sentenced to seven years imprisonment following his conviction of the offence of sexual penetration of a minor.

Delivering his judgement on Wednesday 10th February 2021 at the High Court in Freetown, Justice John Bosco Allieu said that the Prosecution had proven its case beyond all reasonable doubt.

He noted that the accused made a confessional statement to the police and pleaded that the matter not be charged to court but later denied knowing the victim at the commencement of the trial.

By Francis H. Murray

The trial of Mariama Sarjoh Barrie and Ibrahim Bah for the alleged murder of five-year old Kadija Saccoh has continued at the High Court in Freetown before Justice John Bosco Allieu and a twelve-member jury.

By Mabinty M. Kamara

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has announced that it has commenced investigations into the “Office of the First Lady, past and present, dealing with matters of budgetary justifications for allocations and expenditures of State funds to that entity and the legal and regulatory framework, if any, for them.”