The land dispute along the Government Wharf between the National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NaSSIT) and Rezso Energy and Construction Limited, at the Fast Track Commercial Court, continued on 17th January 2019, before Justice Miatta Samba. Counsel for the defendants, Rezso Energy, Ishmail Kalokoh and A. Yillah noted the number of adjournments and the lack of progress in the matter. He added that they have written letters to the NASSIT Director, copying their legal representative. There was no response to the letters. Yillah requested a discharge of the matter if, by the next adjourned date, no progress is made. Justice Samba adjourned the matter to 24th January 2019. In November 2018, the former Deputy Director of NaSSIT, Amara Kargbo testified before the Court that the piece of land in question at Government Wharf belonged to the Trust, noting that in 2005 they approached the Maritime Administration. NaSSIT offered Le60 million to Maritime Administration to purchase the land. Kargbo said they received a letter from Maritime in May 2005 agreeing to the sale. Kargbo furthered that in June 2005, they received a letter from the former Executive Director of Maritime Administration accepting the conditions of the land transfer. In that same month, a conveyance was prepared between the Sierra Leone Maritime Administration and NaSSIT for the land. “The Trust has been controlling this property for the past 10 years and it has been used as car park and garage,” Kargbo said. The witness continued his testimony saying they intend to use the land to construct a building specifically for paying pensions. Kargbo highlighted that he was surprised to have received a letter from the lawyers of the first defendant in 2017 claiming to be the owner of the land with a conveyance dated 5 January 2017.
MJB/17/1/19
By Mohamed J. Bah
Friday January 18, 2019.