News

By Mustapha Sesay

A man believed to be in his mid-20s has been electrocuted around the PZ business area in central Freetown.

Musa Kamara met his untimely death at around 2:00 pm yesterday.

An eye-witness told Politico that they had gone together for the Zhurr prayer at 2 pm at the back of Super Snap Photo Studios at PZ. “I finished the prayer before him so I left him behind”, Alhaji Jalloh explained.

Koroma supporter

Probably the clearest indication yet that the succession question in the ruling All People’s Congress is far from settled, emerged at an official commissioning ceremony of the Regent-Grafton Road on Saturday.

The Chief of Defence Staff of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces has told Politico that four soldiers arrested in August last year on allegations of mutiny have been freed from the Pademba Road prison.

Maj Gen Samuel Omar Williams said they were released because "there was no evidence against them" hence no charges pressed in court.

They were part of a group of soldiers and an officer 14 of whom are currently facing a military court, or Court Martial.

He said they would continue their service in the army.

By Septimus Senessie in Kono

Some residents of Saqueetown, one of the mining affected communities now relocated to a   new site called Benghazi, have refused to occupy the new houses constructed by OCTEA Diamond Mining Koidu Ltd because they have cracks in them.

By Mohamed T Massaquoi

A UK based group, Tools for Self Reliance, has funded the Hands Empowering the Less Privileged in Sierra Leone(HELP/SL) to collaborate with Local Action for Development(PAD/SL) in helping youth of Kpanga Karbondeh Chiefdom, Pujehun district.

As part of activities to mark 53 years of Sierra Leone's independence, President Ernest Bai Koroma yesterday freed 188 prisoners from across the country using his power of presidential pardon. They included 113 from Freetown and 75 from the provinces.

Two women were freed from Freetown and two others from the provinces.

It brings to 345 the total number of prison releases so far this year after 157 were let go of on New Year's Day.

By Septimus Senessie in Kono

District census publicity officer has told journalists at their office in Koidu that they have started the 2014 pilot census activities starting with three enumeration areas in Lei, Soa and Tankoro chiefdoms.

Albert Sahr Yambasu said the pilot was a two-week activity that started on 22 April and would end on 5 May, 2014.