News

By Politico staff writer

The First Lady of Sierra Leone, Fatima Bio, has pledged Le150, 000,000 as support for a planned water supply project targeting police barracks across the country.

The project is championed by the head of the Sierra Leone Police Wives Association (SLPWA), Hawa Sovula, who is also the wife of the Inspector General of Police, Ambrose Sovula.   

By Francis H. Murray

Justice Augustine Musa of the High Court in Freetown has ruled that the High Court in Kono lacked the jurisdiction to hear and determine the substantive matter between Koidu Holdings Ltd and the Affected Property Owners in Kono.

In his ruling on Wednesday 30th September, 2020, Justice Musa noted that because the present action in respect of the matter was issued in Kono, where there is no district registry, it rendered the court defective on grounds of jurisdiction.

By Francis H. Murray

The advisory committee on nominations of judges at the Internal Criminal Court (ICC) has approved the nomination of Sierra Leone’s Court of Appeal Judge, Justice Miatta Maria Samba to serve at the world court.

The ICC was established to investigate, and where warranted, try individuals charged with the gravest crimes of concern to the international community, including genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crimes of aggression.

By Mohamed Jaward Nyallay

A new Afro Barometer report that was launched on Tuesday has shown that 54% of Sierra Leoneans believe that the Commissions of Inquiry (COI) is effective to fight corruption. Only 11%, which represents just one in ten people, hold a negative view against the establishment of COI.

By Kemo Cham

Former President Ernest Bai Koroma has dismissed findings in the Commissions of Inquiry (COI) which accused him and officials who served in his administration of committing corruption, describing them as politically motivated.

Koroma, in a statement issued by his office on Wednesday, accused the current administration of seeking to tarnish his image and vowed to defend his reputation through all available legitimate means.

Koroma’s comment comes after the release recently of the Government White paper on the findings of the COI.

By Mohamed Jaward Nyallay

The budget hearing for 2021 has started on Thursday at the Treasury Building, ministry of Finance. The opening day of the budget planning process saw key ministries present policy strategies as officials of the Finance Ministry defined the government’s priorities for 2021.

Minister of Finance, Jacob Jusu Saffa, said the theme of the 2021 budget remains the same as in 2020, which is ‘Fiscal Consolidation for Human Capital Development and Job Creation.’

By Mohamed Jaward Nyallay

Opposition Member of Parliament, Mohamed Bangura has vowed to fight the recommendations of the White Paper that directly affects him. He said his lawyers are currently planning to launch an appeal against two recommendations in the paper.

Bangura, who was Minister of Information under the All Peoples Congress administration, was ordered to pay US$ 194,363 to the state which he allegedly collected from the International Gateway Fund that was under the National Telecommunication Commission (NATCOM).