News

By Kemo Cham

The Sierra Leone judiciary has ordered a nationwide cessation of all activities at the magistrate and high courts in an effort to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in the prisons and justice sectors. This, after an inmate tested positive for the virus.

A statement from the office of the Chief Justice said the suspect was on remand at the Pademba Road Prison where he reported ill. He was receiving treatment at the prisons health facility but tested positive for COVID-19 almost a week later.

By Mohamed Jaward Nyallay

The Sierra Leone Police has confirmed the death of Sergeant Nathaniel Lamin, who went missing over five weeks ago during a controversial operation in northern Sierra Leone.

Sgt Lamin went missing on the 17^th of March after a raid on Mano Village in the outskirts of Magburaka in the Tonkolili district went bad. He was reportedly part of a team of seven police officers who had been deployed in the village to settle a dispute between farmers and herdsmen when they suddenly came under attack by the villagers.

By Kemo Cham

Sierra Leone’s President, Julius Maada Bio, used his Independence Day address to rally support against the spiraling Covid-19 pandemic.

Bio appealed to Sierra Leoneans to bear with restrictions imposed as part of efforts to contain the virus, noting that as unbearable as they feel, they are necessary to get life back to normalcy.

By Mabinty M. Kamara

The Freetown City council last Friday started work to fix the sewage system at the King Jimmy Bridge.

Sewage waste has been oozing from the bridge for a long time, causing discomfort to people who make a living within the vicinity.

Work on the faulty sewage system comes exactly two weeks since Politico published an article on it, revealing longstanding disagreement between the contractor who built the bridge and the city council, who accused each of responsibility for the prolongation of the problem.

By Mohamed Jaward Nyallay

The Government of Sierra Leone is set to roll out the phase two of a US$30 million fiber optic project. The Ministry of Information and Communication say the project is part of government’s effort to further digitize the country.

The fund is a loan that was negotiated by the Julius Maada Bio administration with a 1% interest rate. The fund will be used to support the necessary infrastructure that is needed to roll out the more than 600 kilometers of fiber optic across the country.

By Francis H. Murray

Magistrate Abdul Sheriff of Court Number 3 at Pademba Road has released on bail one Mohamed Samura, who is accused of raping his girlfriend, after the woman’s testimony in the ongoing preliminary investigation.

Samura, who is in his early forties, was admitted to a Le40million bail with a further requirement that “sureties of reputable standing in society” guarantee the bond.

By Kemo Cham

Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio praised the country’s healthcare workers for their dedication to the fight against Covid-19 in his independence anniversary speech on Monday.

Bio also singled out other stakeholders in the fight, including local authorities, whom he said were all contributing to efforts to ending the transmission of the virus.