Justice Sulaiman Bah of the High Court of Freetown has on Monday 24th August 2020 ordered both the Clerk and the Officer in Charge (OIC) of the Correctional Centre to supply the court with the names of inmates without warrants in the centre. Justice Bah made the call after one of the accused, Alhaji Marah, was absent from court proceeding for the second time running. During the last proceeding, Justice Bah instructed the OIC, Osman Sesay to find out about the accused.
However, appearing in court yesterday, the OIC could not explain to the judge why accused Marah again failed to be in court, but instead called the Correctional Clerk Mohamed Alpha Bah to explain the accused’s situation to the judge. According to the Clerk, they don’t have a warrant for Marah, noting that a warrant is the only credential guaranteeing accused persons the right to leave the centre.
Bah informed the judge that there are presently inmates at the Correctional Centre whose documents are missing, hence without warrants. Consequently, Justice Sulaiman Bah ordered the Correctional Clerk and OIC to furnish the court with the names of all inmates in the centre without a warrant. The judge stressed that they should do physical identifications and submit said list to him by Wednesday 26th August 2020.
Justice Bah then promised to take up the issue with the Chief Justice upon receiving the list from the Correctional Service officials.
By Mohamed J. Bah