News

By Kemo Cham and Mabinty M. Kamara

Guineans are expected to vote for president this weekend, Sunday October 18, in what promises to be a crucial election.

Incumbent president Alpha Conde is seeking a third term, after controversially changing the country’s constitution to allow him run at the end of his two-five year terms.

He faces 12 other candidates, with his major challenger being veteran opposition leader Cellou Dalein Diallo of the Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea (UFDG).

By Mabinty M. Kamara

The sub regional grouping Mano River Union (MRU) has called for peace ahead of crucial elections this month in two of its member states.

The MRU comprises Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia and Cote d’Ivoire; Guinea is heading for elections this week – October 18, while Cote d’Ivoire is slated to conducts its poll on October 31.

By Mabinty M. Kamara

The main opposition All Peoples Congress (APC) has kicked against condemnations of its members over the October 8 incident in Makeni around the resident of its leader and chairman, Ernest Bai Koroma.

Supporters of Koroma were involved in a standoff with agents of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) who had gone to interview the former president over suspected involvement is corruption. The anti-graft agency said the conduct of Koroma’s supporters prevented its agents from questioning him.

By Francis H. Murray

Lawyers representing convicted former Defence Minister Alfred Palo Conteh have filed a note of motion to the Court of Appeal to ask for an extension of time to file and serve the appellant’s synopsis of argument in respect of his appeal before the court.

By Francis H. Murray

Preliminary investigations into a 10-count charge including seditious libel, false publication, defamatory libel and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice brought up against Sylvia Blyden and Hussain Muckson Sesay has continued before Magistrate Hannah Bonnie in Freetown.

Led in evidence by State prosecutor, Lawyer Yusuf I. Sesay on Monday, Detective Police Constable Alpha Sesay attached to the Cyber Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department recognized the accused persons.

By Francis H. Murray

The National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT) has dragged the Corporate Affairs Commission to court for failing to pay social insurance contributions for its staff, amounting to over Le50million.

The Corporate Affairs Commission is a government institution, like NASSIT, mandated to enhance company information exchange, support business growth, inform the public and contribute to sustainable socio economic development of the country.

By Mabinty M. Kamara

A civil society coalition, the National Consortium on Public Accountability (NCOPA), has condemned recent reports by two leading civil society organizations exposing corruption in public institutions.