Six people, including a former member of parliament, have been remanded in prison by a magistrate in Bo after making a brief appearance.
They were charged with destroying economic trees worth Le 200 million belonging to an agribusiness company SOCFIN, incitement and conspiracy.
The accused, all members of the land rights campaign group called Malen Affected Land Owners Association (MALOA), were refused bail.
They include the organisation’s Secretary General Sima Mattia, its Financial Secretary Kennie Blango as well as Lahai Sellu, Musa Sellu, Foday Musa and the former parliamentarian for the People’s Movement for Democratic Change, Siaka Sama who is now the organisation’s spokesman.
According to the environmental campaign group, Green Scenery, the detainees are rights activists who were initially arrested in Sahn Malen and detained at the Pujehun police station before taken to Bo.
In a press release dated 16 October, 2013 the organisation claimed to have spoken to Sima Mattia in his cell and quoted him as saying that “MALOA is targeted because we are advocating for a better condition from the Malen land deals and offering advice to those who do not wish to dispose of their land for large scale agriculture.”
Executive Director of Green Scenery, Joe Rahall, said they were concerned that in a democratic country like Sierra Leone, the human rights of every citizen counted and should be treated as such.
“We say this because we observe a trend particularly in Malen Chiefdom which does not bode well with the country’s human rights credentials,” he said.
He recalled that last year another group of four persons was arrested allegedly for fighting company workers who went to take a community land in Bassaleh.
“The four were speedily condemned to prison or pay a fine of Le 800,000 (US 200) each. They were imprisoned for months until their fines were paid,” he said.
He claimed that communities had been subjected to threats by highly-placed police officers about meetings and associations.
“Twice MALOA as an organisation have been refused clearance to undertake a peaceful procession to register their complaints to the District Officer” he said.
Meanwhile, when contacted in Freetown, a Socfin official, Kadie Tejan, who refused to give us her exact designation, declined to make specific comments but advised that anybody wanting to know anything about the said matter should go to Sahn Malem.
“I am here in Freetown. Why can’t you take a vehicle, go to Sahn Malem and investigate the matter. Go there as a reporter and investigate the matter,” she said, adding that she could not comment on a matter that was still being investigated.
The matter was adjourned to next Wednesday.
© Politico 17/10/13
