The Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) has condemned “the unfair treatment and judicial interference” in the criminal libel case against the managing editor of the daily Independent Observer newspaper, Jonathan Leigh.
In a press release issued yesterday after a general meeting, SLAJ said that when he made his initial appearance before Magistrate Seray-Wurie “Jonathan Leigh was granted 50 million Leones bail to be fulfilled by 2 sureties, who can be identified by their national I.D. Card, driver’s license, or passport.”
The release went on that the Deputy Master and Registrar demanded both a conveyance and an account containing Le 50 million as bail conditions that must be met which made the journalist spend the night in prison.
The release goes on that Magistrate Seray Wurie used “arbitrary powers” to withdraw his earlier bail sending Leigh back to prison where he spent two additional nights after what appeared to be a cat-and-mouse game.
“This is a clear case of judicial interference, and we must not allow this to go on in this country” SLAJ President, Kelvin Lewis is quoted as saying.
Lewis strongly condemned the “unusually high…bail conditions” and “arbitrary” use of power by Magistrate Seray-Wurie to send Leigh to prison and the “obvious interference to stop Leigh from being released.”
“We must stand up and act against injustice in this country”, Lewis says.
© Politico 30/07/13
