CHARLES MARGAI SCANS SALONE JUSTICE SYSTEM FROM THE BACKDOOR
Every time Charles Margai appears on radio he turns his fire on his own territory – the justice system in Sierra Leone. On Monday, Margai told the whole country something which, on the face of it, looks funny. But we saw a lot of symbolism in it in relation to the effectiveness and fairness, or otherwise, of the justice system. Margai told us that the main door leading to the Law Courts building is reserved for only the privileged. He said he couldn't understand why that was so.
Well, we want to move his point forward by suggesting that the whole justice system is like that. Only the privileged can use the front door. The downtrodden – people like us – have to pass through the back door. Now we understand why getting justice in Sierra Leone is so expensive and time-consuming.
Even lawyers are now arguing with their colleagues on the bench about the fact that even bail is now used as a tool to punish people. Sierra Leone has more people on remand than those tried and convicted. Some people spend years on remand behind those walls while politicians sleep in comfort and fly overseas with their families.
We can't understand why people are locked up for between three and six months for minor offences when alternative sentences can be applied as happens in other countries where those who run our judiciary studied.
In Sierra Leone, the emphasis is on punishment, not reform. But we are quick to run to the world shouting Human Rights and we are best respecters of them. Give us a break!
A SUPPLEMENTARY BUDGET SO EARLY IN THE FINANCIAL YEAR
We have a new Finance Minister with experience of working at the Commonwealth Secretariat and his first memorable action is to present a supplementary budget to parliament only a few months after the same man presented his main budget to the same parliament. He is asking for more big money. If the people we call MPs, particularly those in the so-called opposition are not concerned about the real issues behind this move, we are.
We were taught many years ago that the budget statement read out in parliament is normally a well-prepared document that is developed in such a way that it’s not rocked by little shocks here and there. But this one presented by Commonwealth Marah has been completely unable to keep its balance even in this gentle breeze blowing over Tower Hill.
So all the extra spending on “the budget process” when professional workshop people in civil society go and talk, talk and talk went in vain? Commonwealth Marah should be told that getting the document through parliament is the easiest part of the job, well, as long as Bernadette Lahai is hanging in there as so-called minority leader. The most difficult part is convincing the ordinary people of this country that his supplementary budget is in their interest. We have to be told in clear terms where all the money will go. We don’t want any press release; we want to meet the minister face to face because in Sierra Leone, press releases don’t respond to supplementary questions. Like the budget, we have a lot of them.
THE SHAME AT MARIE STOPES: WHEN WILL IT RE-OPEN?
When will Marie Stopes clinic re-open? We want answers right now. This clinic serves a lot of people who are very grateful. But the news we are getting from the place is very scary. How come a big fight took place the other day over a suspected baby theft? In fact our information is that a nurse serving in the clinic stole a baby and exchanged it with that of a woman looking for a baby boy – a clear case of boy pikin wahala.
Believe it or not, we had to hang our heads in shame when we got the complete story of that disgrace at Marie Stopes. Could it be that such baby exchanges are widespread and that parents have left that clinic with other people’s children? I wonder how many of our children born there are in fact not really our children.
The authorities at this clinic should now come clean and tell the people of this country the truth about what goes on in their wards when all visitors are gone and exhausted new mothers are sleeping soundly. Already we have done a few interviews with people who know the full story and the amount of cash generated from this ghastly trade. Our patience will run out next week if Marie Stopes doesn’t give a full explanation of all the facts.
MASJIDS ON THE SIDEWALKS, BUT WILL THEY SURVIVE THE END OF RAMADAN?
We wish our brothers and sister observing Ramadan all the best in the next three weeks. However, we cannot help but note that many makeshift Masjids have suddenly sprung up on many sidewalks in Freetown. We have a few concerns that we must bring out:
- How many of our people discovered they were Muslims only in the last one week?
- How many will continue to be Muslims at the end of Ramadan?
- Will those road side Masjids also survive?
- Given the filth packed in Freetown’s drainages, are those sidewalks the best places to pray?
We are not even sure people will turn out in the same numbers by the time we reach half way through the period of fasting. We can’t really judge anybody but we have to make these observations so that people know we are watching.
HAS RAPE NOW BECOME THE NEW PASSTIME IN SIERRA LEONE?
Transparency International (TI) has just named Sierra Leone as the country with the greasiest palm throughout human civilisation. Kan Kan Kan is absolutely livid about the report. He thinks the government’s credibility has been badly hurt. Well, probably yes, but that’s where we are now. We notice that even corrupt and dead organisations like Statistics Sierra Leone have resurrected like Lazarus to attack Transparency International over their research methodology. Have you seen their supplementary press release? We demand that payment for that must not come from the consolidated revenue fund.
Now Sierra Leone runs the risk of being declared the rape capital of Africa because hardly a day goes by without Magistrate Kamanda throwing some alleged rapist in prison.
We are not convinced the authorities have a clue how to fight this menace. People are always locked up but rape continues. In fact more bizarre rapes follow every imprisonment. Imprisonment alone will not solve this problem. We would ask the government to organise a national conference on rape so that we can all go there and suggest ways of destroying the monster.
For our colleagues in the media, we warn that just because people are accused of rape and are denied bail, doesn’t mean they are guilty. The media is doing well with concealing the identity of the alleged rape victims but even the alleged rapist is entitled to protection until he is convicted. What if, as could happen, a man accused of rape is found not guilty after a trial process right up to the Supreme Court, how will he regain his reputation that would have been torn to shreds by unnecessarily repetitive reporting of boring court sessions?
We understand the emotions around issues like rape but we are journalists not politicians. That’s why we must not accuse people facing trial for alleged fraud as being involved in “DAYLIGHT ROBBERY”.
POLICE OFFICERS WITHOUT RAIN GEARS ALL OVER SIERRA LEONE
We want to interview the spokesman of the Sierra Leone Police, the so-called Force for Good. Our information is that this is the third year running that officers have not been supplied with rain gears. And they are expected to turn up for duty on time and control traffic in the driving rain lashing Sierra Leone right now. We think this is a very important issue, more important than chasing small time prostitutes in central Freetown. We shall return to this issue after the interview and deal with wider welfare issues in the Sierra Leone Police.
By the way, we have a point or two to make about the question of alleged super knives that the police are making all the noise about. The Spokesman left us disappointed in his reply to a question on 98.1 about how the knives came into this country in the first place. The journalist suggested that the police should have stopped them at our borders. Our police spokesman denied the knives came through the borders. He said they came to town through WATER QUAY. Is WATER QUAY not a border post, Mr Spokesman? How do you define border sir?
Second Point: our parliament has passed a law making it possible for people to own guns that can cause more havoc. What's the SLP's position on that? We suggest that everybody, especially those in areas where armed robbers are having a field day, should hurry up and get these knives for self-defence. The robbers have it already, the police can't respond on time, so get your own knife now to defend yourself against criminals.
