News

By Joseph Lamin Kamara in Freetown and Mohamed T. Massaquoi in Pujehun

Sierra Leone is yet to reopen its land border with Liberia since it tightened security measures regulating movements between the two countries, following the outbreak of the Ebola disease, officials said Tuesday.

This followed reports that Liberia opened its land border with the country on Sunday, after closing it for about six months in response to the same epidemic.

Primary school pupils in the Western Rural district

By Mustapha Kamara Jnr

By Allieu Sahid Tunkara

As Sierra Leone settles down to implement its 3.4 trillion budget for the 2015 fiscal year, the Director of Budget in the Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Development says the government is contemplating cutting down on unnecessary expenditures as an integral part of its post-Ebola recovery strategy.

Matthew Dingie made this revelation as the Budget Advocacy Network (BAN) launched a report indicting the government on its spending in the face of the ongoing Ebola epidemic.

By Allieu Sahid Tunkara

The lead defence lawyer in the tribunal trying 13 soldiers for alleged mutiny has applied for the case to be discharged “for want of further prosecution.”

Julius Nye Cuffie made his application on Monday when the prosecution team made the fifth consecutive adjournment application as a result of the protracted ill health of Gerard Soyei, the lead prosecutor in the matter.

By Crispina Taylor

Majority leader in Sierra Leone’s parliament, Ibrahim Bundu, has lamented the effect of the outcry over the Ebola funds audit report on the image of parliamentarians.

Bundu came under widespread criticism last week for suggesting that the recently released Auditor General`s report on the use of funds meant to fight the epidemic couldn’t be discussed until parliament investigated it. Even a move by the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) to summon 40 officials named in the report for questioning was condemned by the House.

By Aminata Phidelia Allie

Sierra Leoneans living in the United Kingdom on Friday handed over a container loaded with medical equipment and food items to the Ministry of Health, as a way of supporting the government and the people of Sierra Leone in the fight against the Ebola epidemic.

By Bampia James Bundu

The National Telecommunication Company (NATCOM), in partnership with Africell and Airtel, has signed an agreement to maintain and improve mobile phone network services in the country to International Telecommunication Union (ITU) standards.