The Centre for Accountability and Rule of Law – Sierra Leone (CARL-SL) has urged the Sierra Leone Judiciary to “respect the rights of the seven ex-servicemen” who are standing trial for allegedly beating defence minister, Pallo Conteh.
In a press release CARL says the courts should ensure each of the seven benefits from the services of defence counsel. They were arraigned in a Freetown Magistrate Court on 6 August facing various charges relating to riotous conduct and assault on the minister.
The organization says “the right to fair trial is protected by a number of concrete rights such as the right to be tried without undue delay, the right to prepare a defence, the right to defend oneself in person or through counsel, and the right to call and examine witnesses”.
It says the high-profile nature of the minister was such that the accused must fully benefit from defence counsels to ensure a fair trial, adding that it was “regrettable that they had to be arraigned without the services of lawyers, at least three days after they had been arrested”.
The former soldiers were among hundreds of others who remain aggrieved that they were discharged from the army and labeled “chronically ill and mentally inbalance”. They say they are yet to be paid their benefits. The Army says they were duly paid all their entitlements
