By Chernor Alimamy Kamara
The opposition All Peoples Congress (APC) party has accused the Judiciary of Sierra Leone of unfair treatment, noting its failure to serve justice to its members who have fallen victim to Political intimidations and attacks across the country.
In an interview with Politico, the APC Publicity Secretary Sidi Yaya Tunis noted that twelve of their supporters were arrested in Foindu in Pujehun district southern Sierra Leone, and were transferred to Bo where they were charged with various public order offenses.
He said those supporters have appeared three times in court without receiving the required judicial attention.
He stated that the last time the party supporters appeared in court, the prosecution didn’t show up and that the Judge is yet to dismiss the case.
The party in the release also noted alleged nationwide intimidations of its supporters even on scheduled campaign days. It also condemned the way security forces handled ‘defenseless’ civilians in contravention of relevant provisions of the law.
In response to the allegations made against the judiciary, the Head of Communications at the Judiciary of Sierra Leone, Elkass Sannoh denied the allegation, saying that the claims were insincere. He said Political parties’ should have confidence in state institutions at a crucial period like this.
He stated that as an institution mindful of its obligations enshrined in the country’s constitution, they have been able to provide a level playing field for everyone, regardless of one’s affiliation. He cited 2018 when three political parties went to court against the government; the opposition won those cases against the ruling government which shows the institution is independent and impartial in administering justice.
“The current Presidential candidate for the APC, Dr. Samura Kamara’s candidature was challenged by a member of the ruling government in (2018) and he won that case in court,” he said.
Elkass assured the APC that if they have been able to win the aforementioned cases without being influenced, it means no one is dictating to the judiciary and that they are ready to do their work within the remit of the law. He urged them to continue having confidence in the judiciary as he said they will not do anything that will undermine justice.
The party in the press release noted an alleged violation of the country’s constitution and provisions of the Public Elections Act (PEA) of 2022 by the ECSL.
It added that the APC is also concerned over the poor quality of Voter Identification Cards that it said were characterized by omissions, mismatches, missing photos and names, poor quality, and related inadequacies that render the cards unfit for purpose.
The party’s presidential candidate according to the statement will today, 14th June address its supporters across the nation.
Copyright © 2023 Politico (14/06/23)
