Freetown. The Legal Aid Board (LAB) has secured the discharge of a total of 234accused persons from various High Courts around the country during the just concluded Judicial Week which commenced on Monday 31 January 2022 and ended on Friday 4 February 2022.
The 234 accused persons were discharged by twenty six judges deployed in various courts around the country during the week long session. The beneficiaries were discharged throughvarious applications filed by LAB Counselsuch as prolonged adjournments, summary reviews,habeas corpus, etc.
Apart from the 234 accused persons that were discharged, the Board also secured the admission of bail to 374 others nationwide.Of the 374 that were granted bail, 259 were granted bail in the provinces while 115 were in the Western Area.
In all, the Board provided legal representation to a total of 870accused personsfrom the 1,013 whose cases were listed for hearing across the country during the week long session. Of 870accused persons represented, 423 were in the provinces and 447 were in the Western Area.The beneficiaries were standing trials on multiple charges ranging from conspiracy to murder, wounding with intent, robbery with aggravation, fraudulent conversion, larceny of cattle, sexual penetration, larceny in a dwelling house, etc.
Speaking to the LAB, one of the beneficiaries, Moses Safia Sesay, who was discharged in Freetown by Honourable Justice Momoh-Jah Stevens,described life behind bars as horrible and traumatic.
Moses thanked the Legal Aid Board for its intervention, saying without the Board only God knows what would have happened to him. He informed the Board of his intention to go back to his native home in Kono district.
Another, Yusif Mansaray alias Small Voice, who was discharged by Honourable Justice Komba Kamanda in Freetown; had been remanded since 2010, according to LAB records. Prior to being release, Yusifhad been battling a one-count charge of murder which was later lowered to manslaughter.
Yusif was released on medical grounds as his twelve years’ incarceration has left him dumb and partially-paralyzed. With help from the Board, Yusif was later taken to his parents in Masori village about fifteen miles away from Makeni.
Also on the discharged list was Abu Bakarr Conteh who was freed by Honourable Justice Monfred Sesay in Freetown on the grounds that the Legal Aid Boardfacilitateshis reunionwith his parentsin Kenema. Abu expressed gratitude to the Board, the judiciary and the government.He assured the Board of his commitment to remain a peaceful and law abiding citizen.
Apart from the Sierra Leoneans, the Board also secured the discharge of Guinean nationals and also facilitated their repatriation to Guinea.One amongst them was Sajor Barrie who was handed over to the Public Relations Officer of the Western Area Fullah Tribal Head,Chernor Portal-Bah for him to be taken to Guinea.Sajor was arrested in November 2019 and since then had been on remand until his release on Thursday 3 February 2022.
Speaking to some of the beneficiaries in her usual post discharge remarks, the Executive Director of the Board, Ms Fatmata Claire Carlton-Hanciles, admonished them to be peaceful and law abiding. She urged them to engage in something meaningful even if it means going into farming, noting that they should use lessons learnt to help shape their future. She averred that the Board will be constrained to provide representation to repeated offenders
Ms Carlton-Hanciles thanked the Chief Justice for the initiative and the learned judges for their magnanimity in setting free innocent souls. She called on LAB counsels to continue with their good work in ensuring that indigent persons are well represented in the courts.
The Judicial Week is a periodset aside by the judiciary to look into cases ofinmates that have been in correctional centres for long periods, such as those on prolonged adjournments; inmates on remand without bail; those on bail but did not meet their bail condition; inmates awaiting indictments; those on summary review, etc.The session accordedsuch inmatesthe opportunity for their cases to be heard by judges identified for purposes of the Judicial Week.
The move according to the judiciary is to decongest correctional centres across the country.
The accused persons were represented by LAB Counsels Cecilia Tucker who also doubles as the Legal Aid Manager, Ibrahim Foday Mansaray Esq, Mohamed Korie who also doubles as LAB National Supervisor;Randy S. Bangura Esq; Morrison Karimu Esq;Ibrahim Bangura Esq; I Samba Esq; Harold Momoh Esq; P. Kamara Esq; K.S CoomberEsq; Cyril Taylor-YoungeEsq; Komba KanuEsq; Jack Harris Esq; Osman B. Kamara Esq; Abraham Kargbo Esq, etc.
Credit LAB