By Saio Marrah
Lawyers are to travel to New York to inspect Sierra Leone’s Chancery Building which is at the centre of a corruption case that is before the High Court.
Following the rejection of application of no case submission in the ongoing alleged mismanagement of funds in the renovation and expansion of the chancery Presiding Judge Adrian Fisher has said the accused persons will open their cases on the next adjourned date, 17th March 2023.
Justice Fisher said this after his ruling on the submission of no case at the main law court building in Freetown on Thursday 23rd February 2023.
The matter will commence after the court’s trip scheduled between the 1st and 8th March this year.
The visit to the chancery building is for the court to ascertain the veracity of the evidence presented by the prosecution.
At the close of the case by the prosecution team, the judge asked the five accused persons to choose among the three options of either to rely on the statement made at the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), stand in the dock and explain what they knew about the matter or testify in the witness box.
All the five accused, Saidu Nallo, Foday Vahfomba Bawoh, Adikali Foday Suma, Dr. Samura M.W. Kamara, and Kandeh Foday Basil Kamara chose to testy in the witness box. Except for the last accused, the rest of the accused persons confirmed bringing in witnesses.
Before the judge could arrive at the decision of posing the option to the accused persons, the defence lawyers for the various accused had been pleading for the said options to be done on Monday 27th February this year.
Justice Fisher could not adhere to their plea because according to him the law provided that by the close of case by the prosecution, the accused were obliged to decide abd not after the close of the case.
Lawyer Hindolo M. Gevao , representing third accused person Adikali Foday Suma, said the witness for his client does not reside in Sierra Leone, but in the United States.
Gavao therefore pleaded that the state sponsor the travelling of the witness of his client to Sierra Leone.
Justice Fisher said the witness can testify via a live video streaming while still in the U.S.A.
However, Gevao noted that it would be good for the witness to be in person at the court.
Thus, he was told to make an application for such request if he has valid reasons .
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