News

By Francis H. Murray

Magistrate Abdulai Sheriff of the Pademba Road Magistrate’s Court No 3 has remanded one Yusuf Turay alias ‘‘Ceford’’ who appeared before him on a two count charge of allegedly “conspiring with other persons unknown” to steal goods worth over seven hundred million Leones in February this year.

By Newman Anthony Levey in Bo

The head of the Bike Riders Union in Bo, Augustine Sama, has told Politico that they have handed over four of their members to the police for investigation in connection to an attack on the offices of the Sierra Leone Roads Safety Authority (SLRSA) and its staff last week Thursday.

Several riders stormed the SLRSA facility in the city in protest against alleged extortion and harassment by its road safety corps and traffic police.

By Kemo Cham

The Sierra Leone government should consider tax waiver on customs duties for essential goods as part of efforts to cushion the effect of the Coronavirus pandemic on the local economy, two unions representing workers and employers have said.

The Sierra Leone Employers Federation and the Sierra Leone Labor Congress made the call in a joint statement, raising concern over the impact of the global health crisis on the country’s economy and proffered several suggestions to minimize it.

By Mohamed T. Massaquoi

The construction company, Societe Generale Fella Construction Company (SOGEFEL), has donated Le85million worth of goods to the Ministry of Planning and Development to fight the Coronavirus pandemic in the country.

The items which include soap, buckets and chlorine, was donated to the ministry on Wednesday, They entail 300 veronica buckets of 50 and 12 litres in sizes with the rubber stools; 100 cartons of carbolic and liquid soap and chlorine, among others, worth over Le85million,” according to a statement from the ministry.

By Kemo Cham

The World Health Organization Regional Director for Africa has expressed concern over the high rate of increase of Covid-19 cases in West and Central Africa.

Dr Matshidiso Moeti is worried that the region has one of the weakest healthcare system that left it highly vulnerable and unable to respond to the global pandemic.

By Mabinty M. Kamara

Residents of Moa Wharf Community have complained of neglect by the government in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The community, which was one of the hardest hit by the 2014-2016 Ebola epidemic, fear that without support and sensitization, they risk another bitter experience given the way of life of the high over populated community.

Moa Wharf is one of the dozens of slum communities lining the coastal line of Freetown.

By Mabinty M. Kamara

Hospitals across Freetown have been experiencing low turnout of patients for treatment and other services since the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country, the government and health workers say.

They warned that the situation has worsened over the last weeks, thanks largely to fake news. It got worst since a fake news about a nonexistent school vaccination exercise that led to the death of a young mother last month, they added.