News

By Saio Marrah

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have during discussions with major international investment institutions for access to finance, urged banking institutions to reduce the high interest rate and increase the duration of payment when giving out investment capital.

Africa Resilience Investment Accelerator (ARIA) and Invest Salone organized the event held at Freetown City Hall on Wednesday 1^st November 2023.

By Chernor Alimamy Kamara

To mark the 1^st edition of the Inclusive Journalism Awards, the Media Reform Coordinating Group (MRCG) has awarded three journalists with prize money from a total of nine applicants who participated in an Inclusive and Anti-conflict Journalism Award for 2023.

The three recipients, all reporters, are Mohamed Sahr from A-Z Newspaper, Cecilia Alice Sesay from SLBC TV, and Patricia Sia Gevao from Awoko Newspaper. The event took place at the 50/50 Group Hall, Tower Hill, Freetown on the 31 October 2023.

By Saio Marrah

Schoolboy Mohamed Aroun Conteh, has appeared at the High Court in Freetown indicted for the murder of Providence school teacher, Edward Gillis Ola Johnson, his private lesson teacher.

By Saio Marrah

Magistrate Mark Ngegba in Freetown has remanded four accused persons, Abubakarr Jah, Abdurrahman Mansallay, Arthur Matturi, and Finnah Hawanatu Marrah on an allegation of defrauding a complainant, Iye Mansaray of $5,000 and NLe 60,000.

Jah (32), 38-year-old Mansallay, Matturi (29), and 21-year-old Ms. Marrah were said to have committed the crime between Tuesday 3^rd and Wednesday 4^th October 2023.

By Saio Marrah

A 58-year-old man pleaded guilty to murdering his younger sister, Isha Saidu Hughes at the high court judge in Freetown presided over by Justice Monfred Sesay on Wednesday 1^st November 2023.

The judge dismissed Sulaiman Conteh’s plea saying that the law does not permit him to end the trial that way so the court should proceed with the case. A 12-person jury was then empaneled.

By Sorie Ibrahim Fofanah

The Communication Officer for the African Population and Health Research Centre (APHRC), Issabelah Mukutu has said there were ninety-one thousand abortions in Sierra Leone in 2021.

Mukutu was speaking in a one-day media advocacy capacity-strengthening workshop designed for journalists in Sierra Leone on how to report Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) issues organized by APHR at the Radisson Blu Hotel on the 30^th of October 2023.

By Mabinty M. Kamara

There are strong indications that Arise IIP, the company building the industrial zone in Sierra Leone is about to institute legal action against the government of Sierra Leone after the latter terminated their agreement for the running of the Pepel rail and Ports.

Politico understands that a letter of notice may be delivered to the government of President Julius Maada Bio soon.