News

By Mabinty M. Kamara

Magistrate Abdulai Sheriff of the Pademba Road Magistrate Court No. 3 has committed the case of an alleged rape of a 13-year-old deaf and mute girl to the high court.

Magistrate Sheriff has presided over the case for the last one month as part of preliminary investigations.

The accused, Joseph Samuel Bassie, is facing a charge for sexual penetration of a child below the age of 18, contrary to section 19 of the sexual offences Act of 2012 as replaced by sections 4 of the sexual offences Act of 2019.

By Francis H. Murray
Justice Sengu Koroma of High Court No 1 has overruled the application of the opposition All Peoples Congress (APC) for a change of Judge in the ongoing Parliamentary election petition cases, over lack of enough evidence.
Justice Koroma in his ruling on Wednesday said that there was no evidence put before the court by counsel of the plaintiffs suggesting the involvement of Justice Ansumana Ivan Sesay in any political activity of the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) after his appointment by President Julius Maada Bio.

By Kemo Cham

The Medical and Dental Association of Sierra Leone (MDASL) says the measures so far being put in place by the government in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic aren’t adequate, and it is suggesting drastic measures.

The Council, in what it calls its position statement on the situation, is calling for an extension of the planned lockdown to 14-days, arguing that the three days intended by the government wouldn’t be enough.

By Kemo Cham

A whole class of over 50 medical students are feared to have been exposed to the coronavirus disease (covid-19) after coming into contact with the latest confirmed case of the virus in the country, Politico learnt.

The student representative council of the College of Medicine and Allied Health Science raised the alarm in a letter seen by Politico on Thursday, appealing to the relevant authorities to take several measures to help the students and prevent possible further transmission of the virus into the general population.

By Mohamed Jaward Nyallay

President Julius Maada Bio on Tuesday called for calm as he confirmed Sierra Leone’s index case of the global Coronavirus pandemic.

Bio said at an emergency press briefing convened at the forecourt of the State House that a 37-year old man had been tested and confirmed positive. The man reportedly entered the country on March 16 from France, via Brussels Airlines, and he tested positive on the last day of his mandatory 14 days quarantine.

By Mabinty M. Kamara

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has indicted Alpha Osman Timbo, former Minster of Labour and Social Security. Timbo, who is also former Minister of Basic Education, was charged alongside four others on a total 15 count charges of corruption, relating to alleged misappropriation of rice donated to the Free Quality Education programme.

The Chinese government had donated the rice - 5000 bags - to the government of Sierra Leone, through the Ministry of Agriculture and later transferred to the Education.

By Francis H. Murray

Sierra Leone’s former defense minister, Rtd Major Alfred Paolo Conteh, has been charged with treason.

Conteh made his first appearance in court on Monday since his detention after been allegedly nabbed with a semi-automatic pistol within State House, the office of the president.

The police accused him of attempting to assassinate President Julius Maada Bio.