By Aminata Phidelia Allie

Defense lawyer for a convicted corrupt pastor has told Politico that they are planning to appeal the decision by High Court to uphold a six-year custodial sentence instead of the alternative fine of Le250 million.

He would not say when they hoped to do so but lawyer Roland Wright said “it will happen soon”.

Rev. Hassan Mansaray, the General Overseer of the Lord’s Mission Church and President of His Helping Hand International Ministry (4HIM Sierra Leone), will now serve his jail term after he defaulted on payment of the said fine.

He was indicted by the anti-graft agency in May this year for misappropriating donor funds and property, and was convicted and sentenced to a fine of Le 250 million or six years in jail in default of the fine.

Failing to pay the fine within the grace period given by the court in August this year, Pastor Mansaray was sent to prison early this month. His defense lawyer applied for his release weeks after his imprisonment, after the fine had been paid in full.

But state prosecutor, Michael Imran Kanu, objected to the application and Justice M. A. Paul of the Freetown High Court adjourned the matter to 25 November for a ruling.

The ruling went against the convicted Man of God with an order for his continuous imprisonment irrespective of the fact that he had paid his fine in full.

The defense lawyer had argued that his client should be released “because we have paid the fine in full and the court accepted the said payment and issued us with a receipt”. 

Meanwhile, the ACC prosecutor pointed 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 or not he later paid the fine.

Justice Paul observed that payment of the fine was not a guarantee that the accused would be released. He ruled in favour of the prosecution and ordered that the pastor serve the stipulated six years in prison.

(C) Politico 26/11/13

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Pastor to appeal ACC conviction

By Aminata Phidelia Allie

Defense lawyer for a convicted corrupt pastor has told Politico that they are planning to appeal the decision by High Court to uphold a six-year custodial sentence instead of the alternative fine of Le250 million.

He would not say when they hoped to do so but lawyer Roland Wright said “it will happen soon”.

Rev. Hassan Mansaray, the General Overseer of the Lord’s Mission Church and President of His Helping Hand International Ministry (4HIM Sierra Leone), will now serve his jail term after he defaulted on payment of the said fine.

He was indicted by the anti-graft agency in May this year for misappropriating donor funds and property, and was convicted and sentenced to a fine of Le 250 million or six years in jail in default of the fine.

Failing to pay the fine within the grace period given by the court in August this year, Pastor Mansaray was sent to prison early this month. His defense lawyer applied for his release weeks after his imprisonment, after the fine had been paid in full.

But state prosecutor, Michael Imran Kanu, objected to the application and Justice M. A. Paul of the Freetown High Court adjourned the matter to 25 November for a ruling.

The ruling went against the convicted Man of God with an order for his continuous imprisonment irrespective of the fact that he had paid his fine in full.

The defense lawyer had argued that his client should be released “because we have paid the fine in full and the court accepted the said payment and issued us with a receipt”. 

Meanwhile, the ACC prosecutor pointed 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 or not he later paid the fine.

Justice Paul observed that payment of the fine was not a guarantee that the accused would be released. He ruled in favour of the prosecution and ordered that the pastor serve the stipulated six years in prison.

(C) Politico 26/11/13

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