By Aminata Phidelia Allie
President of His Helping Hand International Ministry (4HIM Sierra Leone) charity organisation, who is serving a 6-year jail term, may go free after meeting his Le250 million fine leveled by the court in Freetown.
Rev Hassan Mansaray, also the general overseer of the Lord’s Mission Church, was indicted by the Anti-Corruption Commission in May this year for misappropriating donor funds and property. He was later convicted by a judge and sentenced to a fine of Le 250 million or six years imprisonment in default of the fine. He failed to pay the fine and was subsequently ordered by High Court judge, M. A. Paul to serve the jail term while the fine option was being pursued.
On Tuesday 19 November, 2013, an application for his release was made by defense lawyer, Roland Wright, who told the court that they had paid the full amount of the fine leveled against his client.
Wright said his client should be released because “the court accepted the money and issued us with a receipt”.
But state prosecutor, Michael Imran Kanu, objected to the application, pointing to the fact that the period within which the fine was supposed to have been paid had elapsed. He said once the grace period was over, the accused should serve his jail term whether he paid the fine or not.
Justice Paul, who observed that paying the fine didn’t mean that the accused had to be released, adjourned the matter to Monday, 25 November for him to decide on whether to release the accused or to order his continued imprisonment.
Meanwhile, sources close to the ACC say that Dr. Mathew Michael Amara, one of the health officials charged with misappropriation of donor funds, is currently serving a 3-year jail term at Pademba Road prisons in Freetown.
Indicted in March this year alongside 28 others, Dr. Amara stood a single trial on 27 counts of misappropriation of donor funds from the GAVI Alliance International, monies meant for children vaccination in the country.
He was absent during his trial and conviction, and was initially slammed a Le 350million fine or three years imprisonment. He too failed to meet the fine. The judge ordered that he be arrested and imprisoned without delay.
(C) Politico 21/11/13
