Kenya’s High Court has suspended a government order to prevent those who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 from accessing services and entering public places such as national parks, bars and restaurants. The country announced last month it would require people to show vaccination certificates from December 21 to access in-person government services, including hospitals, schools, tax and immigration offices.

But on Tuesday, High Court Judge Antony Mrima suspended the order pending a hearing of the case filed by a businessman who termed the directive “tyrannical” and a gross violation of the constitution.

Campaigners, including Human Rights Watch (HRW), have criticised the directive as discriminatory and urged the government to abandon the plan, which also requires visitors from Europe to provide proof of full vaccination.

“While the government has an obligation to protect its people from serious public health threats, the measures must be reasonable and proportional,” HRW said on Tuesday.

“Requiring proof of vaccination to access public services may act as a powerful incentive for people to get vaccinated, but the way it is carried out should also account for the numerous reasons that a person may not be able to receive the vaccine in time,” the rights watchdog added, noting that there was not enough stock to vaccinate all adults before the deadline.
Last October, President Uhuru Kenyatta announced the lifting of a nationwide curfew that had been in place since March 2020.

“It is now time to shift our focus from survival to co-existing with the disease,” he said at the time. Kenya has fully vaccinated only 3.2 million people, or 12% of the adult population, according to official figures, well below the government target of 10 million by the end of 2021. Its target is to vaccinate 27 million people by the end of 2022.

But Health Minister Mutahi Kagwe defended the order on Sunday, saying it was the government’s duty to protect the rights of the vaccinated from exposure to infection.
“This is even more critical with the emergence of the Omicron variant. Experts have warned that it is more infectious than previous forms of the virus,” Kagwe said.

Kenya has recorded a total of 256,484 coronavirus cases, of which 5,349 have been fatal.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA

By: Dauda Baldeh

Apart from its economic benefits, eating fish is also very important as it provides the body with minerals such as iron, zinc, magnesium and potassium. In recent times this rich source of protein is in short supply in the local market.

In response to the fish scarcity, Gambian fishermen have called on authorities to provide them with the much-needed support to ensure they provide more fish for the local markets.

Assan Gaye is a Gambian fisherman residing in Bakau, he said that they as fishermen are committed to their fishing job but noted that they lack the necessary support from the government.

He used the opportunity to respond to allegations that other nationalities are the only ones involved in fishing, stating that Gambians are also fully involved in the trade but are not as capacitated as their Senegalese or Chinese counterparts

Assan called on the government to act and help the youth who are willing to work in the fishing industry by giving them the necessary support.

“I am very happy to see you coming here to ask me about the causes of fish scarcity in our markets. Since I left school, I started going with my father for fishing and I have no other job apart from fishing.

There was a time we had enough fish in our river. At that time, fishermen were not many but if you go to the market, you will buy the type of fish you want because we have it in [abundance] bulk. In previous years you can have big fish but now you cannot.

The Chinese vessels that are fishing in our river are affecting us,” he explained.

“We want the government to help us. I hear people saying the youths are not hard-working, but I doubt it. We don’t have the support that the Senegalese fishermen are given by their government. We have fishermen but we lack the support. Our parents have been here fishing and we have grown up fishing, so we have fishermen,” he said.

Sheikh Tijan Joof is a businessman who buys fish from the fishermen on a wholesale basis and sells it on retail at the market. He said the scarcity of fish has contributed to the high cost of fish price, adding that it has affected his daily income.

“The scarcity of fish has caused the increase of its price in the market. The people who need fish are more than the available amount. Now our river is experiencing overfishing.  Before you can buy a full box of fish at D4,500, now they are selling it at D20,000 which is very expensive,” Sheikh Tijan Joof said.

Speaking about the causes of fish scarcity in the market Demba Faal another fish seller noted that the demand for fish is high while the supply is low. This he says is affecting the public.

He joined other fishermen to call on the government to come to their aid by providing them with adequate support

“We started engaging in fishing business in the 1980s then you could buy fish as low as ten dalasis (D10), to thirty dalasis (D30), but now it is very expensive. This is part of life but that is in the past, new developments have come. Some of our youths are determined while others are not. I believe this is part of the home training they are given. I don’t think fish will be that cheap but we hope and pray for Allah to continue blessing our river with fish,” he said.

The essential nutrients provided by eating fish keep our hearts and brain healthy. The American Heart Association recommends eating fish at least twice a week as part of a healthy diet.

On Wednesday, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) added the ceebu jën onto its list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

Ceebu jën is a dish that originated in the fishing communities on the Island of Saint-Louis in Senegal.

Although recipes vary from one region to the next, the dish is typically made with fish steak, broken rice, dried fish, mollusk and seasonal vegetables such as onions, parsley, garlic, chili pepper, tomatoes, carrots, eggplant, white cabbage, cassava, sweet potato, okra and bay leaf.

The inclusion of ceebu jën onto UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity follows and application by the Senegalese government in October.

The dish is the most popular in the West African country’s 16 million population and is widely consumed in homes and restaurants. It is also a popular dish among street vendors.

President Macky Sall welcomed UNESCO’s recognition of ceebu jën.

“I welcome the inclusion of ceebu jën, Senegalese national dish, on the UNESCO list of intangible heritage. It is a fine illustration of the international fame of Senegalese culinary art,” he wrote on Twitter.

According to UNESCO, the quality of the fish and the choice of vegetables are determined by the importance of the event or the degree of affection one has for the guest.

The agency notes that the recipe and techniques are traditionally passed down from mother to daughter.

The dish is so valued in the country that people are forbidden from sitting with a raised knee while eating it. The bowl must also be held with the left hand, and grains of rice must not be dropped when eating.

“Ceebu jen” joins other food-related items on the UNESCO list, such as the art of Neapolitan “Pizzaiuolo”, and couscous culture in Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. (CGTN)

An unidentified man allegedly trying to steal transformer cables was electrocuted in the early hours of Thursday at Labour Quarters of Tumfure community in Akko Local Government, Gombe State.

Dr Adakole Elijah, Head, Corporate Communications, Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JEDC) confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gombe on Thursday.

Elijah said “on Dec. 16, about 3.30 a.m., a vandal was electrocuted and died instantly while carrying out vandalism at Labour 1 Distribution Transformer of Tumfure 11 kv feeder.

“The vandal attempted to vandalise the upriser cable at the distribution transformer,” he said.

He said the incident was reported at Tumfure Police Division, and subsequently, policemen brought down the deceased who had not been identified. (Vanguard Nigeria)

Gambia Moral Congress leader Mai Ahmad Fatty has said that UDP supporters have singled him out for insult.

Speaking strongly on Thursday, Mr Fatty said: “My inbox is full of messages of solidarity from Gambians of all walks of life showing concern about the growing hostility demonstrated in malicious audio messages making the rounds in UDP fora against me. I wouldn’t have ignored this as I did in the past, if many of you didn’t show concern. The reason relates to my public view as expressed by Gambian civil society election observers, that election was free and fair as conducted on December 4th itself. Truth be told, polling on December 4th was largely peaceful, free and fair, and no narration can alter that fact. Even UDP big wigs, including Mayors of Banjul and KMC and popular UDP financiers such as Mr. Alagie Conteh, congratulated the President. Why was I singled out for insults?

“Having stated that, GMC is on record for abundantly asserting that the fairness of an election should be determined by the processes leading towards an election. We had always impeached the integrity of the electoral and executionering processes as fraught with palpable irregularities. We were not supported in this assertion by any political entity at the right time. Instead, we were vilified in certain quarters as a small Party crying wolf. Today, our very assertion of yesterday has now been assumed by others as the crux of the electoral issue. Well, we told you so.

“A lot of very hurtful lies continue to be made against me, especially outrageous audio fabrications from supporters the insult camp of UDP. There is growing evidence galore. I call on GMC and my other supporters to treat such insults as emanating from enemies of UDP within. The leadership of UDP would not have encouraged, condoned or supported such syndicated calumny against the Leader of another political Party. GMC will continue to grow in all positive ways and among others, I shall continue to offer superior legal service to Gambians who need it.”

The United Democratic Party made its way to court yesterday to challenge the validity of the December 4th, 2021, presidential election. Contrary to the earlier supposition that the party was only bringing a case against President Adama Barrow and his NPP party, the party brought an amended election petition before the Supreme Court against Adama Barrow and the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).

Adama Barrow (President-elect) is now the 1st Respondent and the IEC now joins him as 2nd Respondents. The first lawsuit filed on Tuesday only targeted President Adama Barrow.
In its quest to challenge the validity of the 4th December polls, the UDP claims the election was invalid and accused the IEC officials of malpractices including strong allegations that Adama Barrow and his NPP induced voters in violation of the country’s electoral laws.

The UDP maintained that the election was invalid because there were involvements of public officers in the period leading to the elections as well as fraudulent practices and wrongful insertion of non-Gambians in the voter’s list.

The Supreme Court is now tasked with the duty to determine whether Adama Barrow was duly elected amidst UDP allegations of non-compliance with the electoral laws, widespread irregularities and corrupt practices.

Barrow pulled 457,519 of the valid votes cast, whilst his close contender opposition strongman Ousainou Darboe pulled 238, 253. Mama Kandeh of the GDC recorded 105,902 followed by veteran politician Halifa Sallah of PDOIS who got 32, 425 of the valid votes cast. Independent Candidate Essa Faal had 17, 206 and NUP Leader Abdoulie Jammeh recorded 8,252.

The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank has approved a line of credit of €70 million and an equity investment of $24 million, to be granted to the West African Development Bank.

The line of credit will support businesses in the West African Economic and Monetary Union, particularly in job-creating sectors such as agribusiness, renewable energy, health, and information and telecommunication, which were drastically affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The €70 million forms part of a €150 million facility, which will be co-financed by Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (€60 million) and FINDEV (€20 million). The $24 million equity investment is part of a capital increase transaction, which will allow the African Development Bank to increase its shareholding from 0.55% to 1%, and therefore retain its seat on the Board of Directors of the West African Development Bank.

In addition, the African Development Bank will assist the West African Development Bank, through funding from the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi) to set up a technical assistance program to mainstream gender aspects in its project review process and to promote women’s entrepreneurship. The project should help to create or consolidate at least 5,900 jobs (including 2,000 to women).

The facility is strongly aligned with three of the Bank High 5 strategic priorities, namely Feed Africa, Industrialize Africa and Improve the quality of life of Africans.

Source: African Development Bank Group (AFDB)

The Ebola outbreak that erupted in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s North Kivu Province in October the second in 2021 has today been declared over, the national health authorities announced after no new cases were reported at the end of a 42-day countdown, or two incubation periods after the last confirmed case was discharged.

In total, 11 cases (eight confirmed, three probable), including six deaths were reported in the outbreak that was declared on 8 October after a new case was confirmed in Beni health zone in the country’s North Kivu Province. This was the country’s 13th outbreak and occurred in the same area as the 2018 outbreak which lasted two years.

More than 1800 people were vaccinated in a campaign that kicked off just five days after the first case was detected. The outbreak marks the first time the recently licensed ERVEBO vaccine against Ebola was used in the country. ERVEBO is the same as the compassionate-use vaccine, but as a licensed vaccine, rollout is less cumbersome operationally.

“Stronger disease surveillance, community engagement, targeted vaccination and prompt response are making for more effective Ebola containment in the region,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa. “During this outbreak, the Democratic Republic of Congo was able to limit widespread infections and save lives. Crucial lessons are being learned and applied with every outbreak experience.”

Swift response comprising key outbreak control measures such as contact tracing, testing, disease surveillance as well as community collaboration efforts helped contain the outbreak within Beni, where the initial case was detected. In support of the country, WHO deployed experts, supplies, and contributed funds to help contain the outbreak.

However, unpredictable and sometimes volatile security in parts of Beni hampered response in some localities, with health workers and other frontline responders unable to access insecure areas to monitor high-risk contacts or administer vaccines.

The prevention of sexual abuse and exploitation was a core pillar of the response. An expert was deployed to train WHO personnel and partners on preventing inappropriate and abusive behaviour. Every person involved in field work received training and each partner agency signed a code of conduct. Trainers engaged directly with community members where health authorities were working to raise awareness about sexual exploitation and abuse and how to report it safely. Radio spots and pamphlets in local languages also helped spread the message.

With the outbreak now declared over, the health authorities are maintaining surveillance and are ready to respond quickly to any flare-ups. It is not unusual for sporadic cases to occur following a major outbreak. Results from genome sequencing conducted by the country’s National Institute of Biomedical Research found that the first Ebola case detected in the just-ended outbreak likely represented a new flare-up of the 2018–2020 Ebola outbreak due persistence of the virus in the community.

The country has set up an Ebola Survivor Programme which currently has more than 1100 people from previous outbreaks in North Kivu Province. The two survivors from the now-ended outbreak have been enrolled in the survivor programme. For the next 18 months they will receive monthly check-ups, which include medical evaluations, psychological and nutritional support.

Source – WHO Media

Police have explained that the two men accused of being German mercenaries are in fact private security officers who work for a private security firm that specializes in protecting cruise ships against pirates.

Reports emerged online on Wednesday of foreign mercenaries entering the country with dangerous weapons.

But police said: “To set the records straight, the two men shown in the picture published in the Facebook post are security personnel of Trident Group America (a private American Maritime Security Company ) specialized in protecting cruise ships along the Gulf of Guinea against attacks by pirates.

“As part of the company’s standard operation procedures and in conformity with international maritime security protocols; the company was obliged to seek entry permit, and clearance for the arms and ammunitions coming into the territorial waters of transit countries.

“Following such clearance sought, transit country’s Police are mandated to retrieve for custody all weapons on arrival and hand over same on departure. This is to ensure such weapons are not used for any unintended purposes.

“It was in observant of the above protocols that personnel of the PIU were directed to escort the weapons to be handed over to the cruise ship as they depart the territorial waters of The Gambia.

“It is important to note that, information in view of the retrieval and custody of the weapons was shared with all relevant stakeholders accordingly.”

Tournament organisers for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) have insisted that the competition will go on despite the outbreak of COVID-19. The tournament is said to hold in Cameroon from January 9 to February 6, but there are conflicting reports about whether it will be called off.

An earlier report by French outlet, RMC Sport had claimed that the Central African Federation could be forced to postpone the tournament.
Italian top site, La Gazzetta dello Sport in Italy claim that there is no risk of calling off the competition.

However, Marca is reporting that the organisers have remained adamant that the binary football event will still happen. Sixteen Premier League clubs could see players called up by their national teams for the tournament with Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool among those facing the prospect of losing key members of their squads.

CAF has denied the legitimacy of a cancellation report that emanated from France but the pressure is mounting following a surge in coronavirus cases, coupled with lingering doubts over host nation Cameroon’s ability to be ready in time.

A letter from the European Clubs Association, circulated on social media this morning and dated 10 December, says that “clubs will be entirely within their rights not to release any player in relation to whom travel restrictions or mandatory quarantine applies” and called the tournament’s schedule “unmanageable.”

It continues: “As you know, the pandemic and its associated implications raise three fundamental concerns for clubs when it comes to the release of players to national teams: first and foremost, the clubs’ duty to ensure every player’s wellbeing is properly protected; second, that clubs are not forced to be without players for club competition matches; third, that all players resume their activities with their clubs following national duty in a timely fashion, as per the applicable rules.”

Developing story.

UDP leader Ousainou Darboe’s top lieutenant Momodou Sabally has vowed that UDP will pursue the truth regarding the December 4 poll.

UDP collapsed in dramatic fashion in a poll party leaders constantly said was finally taking UDP to State House. The party then quickly rejected the election result which saw President Barrow win by a landslide.

On Tuesday, UDP filed a petition at the Supreme Court asking the top court to scrap the election for alleged bribery and non-citizens voting.

Momodou Sabally speaking on the issue said: “We are a party of law and it’s the law that gives us the right to go to court. We want the truth to be known and we will pursue it to where it will be known. I want UDP supporters to know this is not just their issue.

“The whole country is now doubtful about this election. The party of Mamma Kandeh GDC have also refused the election and are making their own efforts to put evidence together and maybe they will join UDP and give us their evidence so that we can go to the Supreme Court.

“So a lot of people have questioned the election results, not just UDP and GDC. And we will go the Supreme Court to make sure the truth stands.”

The Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission said today it has submitted additional copies of its final report to the ministry of justice for distribution stakeholders.

“The Secretariat of the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) has submitted an additional ten hard copies and fifteen soft copies on flash drives of its final report to the Ministry of Justice for onward distribution to stakeholders. These include the National Assembly, the United Nations Secretary General and other local, regional and international organisations,” a statement said.

According to the TRRC, Minister of Justice Dawda Jallow and during a meeting on December 3 requested that copies of the report be sent to his office and they will do the distribution.

Police have issued a statement dismissing reports of foreign mercenaries entering into The Gambia.

Reports on Wednesday said German mercenaries who are equipped with dangerous weapons have been arrested in the country.

In a statement, police said: “We have learnt with dismay information published on social media by a Facebook profile holder named Dimansa Kujabie.

“Among other things, the author claimed that two heavily armed German nationals believed to be mercenaries were intercepted at sea by the Gambia Navy along with  6 PIU personnel escort around Denton Bridge.

“He further went on insinuating a threat to the security of the country as mentioned in his post.

“The public is urged to disregard this information as false and misleading.

“To set the records straight, the two men shown in the picture published in the Facebook post are security personnel of Trident Group America ( a private American Maritime Security Company ) specialized in protecting cruise ships along the Gulf of Guinea against attacks by pirates.

“As part of the company’s standard operation procedures and in conformity with international maritime security protocols; the company was obliged to seek entry permit, and clearance for the arms and ammunitions coming into the territorial waters of transit countries.

“Following such clearance sought, transit country’s Police are mandated to retrieve for custody all weapons on arrival and hand over same on departure. This is to ensure such weapons are not used for any unintended purposes.

“It was in observant of the above protocols that personnel of the PIU were directed to escort the weapons to be handed over to the cruise ship as they depart the territorial waters of The Gambia.

“It is important to note that, information in view of the retrieval and custody of the weapons was shared with all relevant stakeholders accordingly.

“The IGP wishes to assure the public that the GPF will not relent in executing its constitutional mandate of maintaining peace and security within the country.

“Online bloggers and reporters are encouraged to always verify facts at all times and desist from publishing unconfirmed information particularly on security matters to avoid causing undue fear among the public. The usual cooperation and understanding of the public is highly solicited.”

Police have charged Lamin Darboe with supporting terrorism and prohibition of acts of terrorism, with the arrested agitator also facing three other charges.

Police last week arrested Darboe after he released a WhatsApp audio calling for civil war in The Gambia. He called for a Rwanda-type civil war.

Police spokesman Lamin Njie told The Fatu Network Darboe is charged with incitement to violence, publication of false news with intent to cause fear and alarm to the public, prohibition of acts of terrorism, supporting acts of terrorism and false publication and broadcasting.

Mr Darboe presented himself as a UDP supporter which saw UDP leader Darboe fought back by blasting the former fire officer as the worst citizen trying to destroy the image of his party.

Starting December 2021 Angola will start vaccinating children and teenagers aged between 12 and 17 years the government has announced.

The Southern African country launched its mass inoculation drive in March, initially targeting persons considered to be at high risk, including the elderly, persons with underlying health conditions and healthcare workers. This is in its bid to ramp up vaccination amid the emergence of the Omicron variant.

The government later expanded the vaccination to capture all adults (18-year-olds and above), and in October issued a two-week ultimatum to have all eligible persons get their doses.

The further expansion of the vaccination bracket to cover people from 12-years-old aims to better protect the country’s public from the virus, even as the Omicron strain, which is said to spread faster, continues to cause worry in the Southern African region.

The health ministry will also roll out the administration of booster doses to persons who completed their vaccination six months or more earlier.

“From the sixth month onwards, immunity starts to decrease and for this reason we have to reinforce the vaccination”, the Minister of Health, Sílvia Lutucuta, said.

Angola has so far reported a total of 65,475 confirmed COVID-19 infections, with 1,737 deaths fatalities.

By: Dawda Baldeh

The National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), World Food Programme (WFP) and other partners in Dakar, Senegal, on Wednesday 15th December 2021, held a two-day programme for the review of the National Contingency Plan 2022 to 2025.

The plan is expected to serve as the blueprint for preparing and responding to disasters in the Gambia. The event was held at a local hotel in Senegambia. The national multi-hazard contingency plan will help key actors to vision and solve disasters in an effective and timely manner. The main purpose of the plan is to ensure a coordinated and efficient humanitarian response in all situations that may affect the country.

The contingency plan identifies the main contingencies for pre and post emergencies, through a multi-sectoral approach. Sana Dahaba is the Executive Director of the National Disaster Management Agency.

“As an agency, we are committed to providing a common framework for the intervention of all partners in disaster preparedness and response. This will help reduce and mitigate those risks to be identified from this two-day technical session on the plan,” Sana Dahaba said.

Mr. Dahaba said the institution is committed to ensuring that the humanitarian response targets mitigate the adverse impact of hazards on the people. Seraphine Wakana is the United Nations, Resident Coordinator. He said the country is prone to a variety of hazards, adding that The Gambia has been experiencing recurrent disasters for several years especially with the advent of climate change.

“As you may be aware, The Gambia is prone to a variety of hazards. The UN Common Country Analysis (CCA) which is the UN systems joint analysis of development challenges the country is facing shows that the intensity and frequency of these disasters have increased progressively, leading to floods and occasional droughts and affecting the lives and livelihoods of communities and households,” she said.

She further noted that the contingency plan will incorporate inputs from the regional contingency plans while pointing out that work will be more operational and practical.
Ms. Wakana went on to state that the Disaster Management Agency has demonstrated strong leadership in the coordination of relief assistance to the victims of a windstorm that hit the country in June this year. Yasuhiro Tsumura is the World Food Programme representative. He spoke about the importance of the event.

“The contingency plan is important, but it is a process. Therefore, having the document itself is not the ultimate objective,” Yasuhiro Tsumura said.

Adding that, “it is very important for everyone to know when disasters are to occur. People need to know what, who, how and when things occur.”

Various speakers commended the organizers of the event while assuring their firm support in combating disaster and climate change in the country.

By Matty Senghore

The Drug Law Enforcement Agency of The Gambia on Wednesday publicly destroyed various drugs among them cocaine.

DLEAG destroyed 4tons 607kg 700g of cannabis, 238kg 264g of cannabis resin, 17g of heroine and 52kg 143g 400mg of cocaine.

The event was held at the Old Cape Road in Bakau presided over by the minister of interior Yankuba Sonko.

More follows…

By: Christian Conteh

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is working on formulating a policy that will insist that member states stick to presidential term limits as prescribed in their various constitutions. And where there are no constitutional provisions that encourage the country to introduce it through constitutional reforms. This is according to the head of the ECOWAS election observer mission to The Gambia.

Ernest Bai Koroma, the former president of Sierra Leone was speaking during a presentation of the ECOWAS mission’s preliminary findings in the just concluded Gambian Presidential Election

“We have to ensure that it becomes a policy of ECOWAS to insist on a term limit. I think term limits must be supported and issues of good governance are addressed at all times along the way. We should have a look at every president’s way of governance because these are the early warning signs that are not adhered to,” Koroma told journalists at a post-election press conference.

Interestingly Former President Koroma handed over the country’s mantle of leadership to the main opposition after Julius Maada Bio won the elections. The handing over came at a time when party faithful of the then governing All Peoples Congress Party trumpeted a third term bid for Koroma.

The former Sierra Leonean leader further disclosed that the issue of term limit has been discussed in ECOWAS meetings, even recently at the reviewing of its protocol on good governance and democracy.

“The position as at now is that where you have a term limit the countries must ensure that they adhere strictly to the provisions of the term limit and where you don’t have a term limit as it is the case with The Gambia, it is left with Gambians to review their constitution to consider implementing term limit,” Koroma said.

Koroma added that as a body, ECOWAS holds the view that the term limit gives the voting population a choice.

“To be fair, in the end if a president is lucky to serve two terms, I don’t see anything more you can offer beyond your two terms. I think it is time to bow out”.

“However, I think we have implications here; there are times when people want to stay beyond their term limits because of the lack of guarantees of life after the presidency but I believe we have had a lot of past presidents that engage in doing so many other things after office,” he said.

By Amara Thoronka

Sierra Leone high court judge, Justice Adrian Fisher yesterday placed opposition strongman Dr. Samura Matthew Wilson Kamara on a Two Billion Leones (about 178,000 United States Dollars) bail on his first appearance in court to answer to alleged corruption offences.

Dr. Samura Kamara was the 2018 presidential candidate of the then ruling and now main opposition All Peoples Congress (APC) party and was also, at different periods of the APC regime, former Minister of Foreign Affairs (2013-2017); Minister of Finance (2009-2013); Governor of the Bank of Sierra Leone (2007-2009).

It could be recalled that on 23 November 2021 the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) released a statement stating that Dr. Kamara and others are to be prosecuted for corruption offences. Part of the release reads:
“Dr Samura Kamara is charged with one count of deceiving a principal (the state) and on one count of misappropriation of public funds amounting to Two Million, Five Hundred and Sixty Thousand United States Dollars (2,560,000) meant for the reconstruction for the Sierra Leone Chancery Building in New York.”

According to the particulars of offence, Dr. Kamara in his then capacity as Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation allegedly deceived the Government of Sierra Leone by presenting a cabinet paper document that he knew contained a misleading statement. The statement in question reads: “The Companies undertaking the renovation or constructions are reliable and were subjected to a rigorous vetting process.”

Following the bail applications made on behalf of the accused persons, Hon. Justice Fisher admitted the accused persons to bail in the sum of Two Billion Leones and two sureties each which must be property owners in the Western Area with one of such properties in each case valued at least One Billion Leones.

The bail condition further required that each property must be registered in the name of the surety in the office of the Administrator and Registrar General and must be free from all encumbrances. Each surety must surrender the originals of all title deeds to the office of the Master and Registrar and must produce a valuation certificate confirming the valuation of the properties to be used, which must be dated within the past three months.

Justice Fisher ordered each accused person to surrender all travelling documents to the office of the Master and Registrar, forthwith as well as not to conduct any interviews with the press or comment publicly on proceedings until the end of the trial.

He used the occasion to admonish the press and members of the public to only report accurately what obtains in court in terms of the evidence given in the proceedings in general and nothing else.

“Any reporting calculated to interfere with the course of this trial would be treated as contempt of this court for which there would be penalties,” Justice Fisher warned.

Other accused persons include Saidu Nallo (1st accused), Adikali Foday Suma (2nd accused) Foday Vahfomba Bawoh (3rd accused), Dr. Kandeh Foday Basil Kamara (5th accused) and Jules Sanders Davies (6th accused). They were also put individually on a Two Billion Leones bail. Three of the accused persons fulfilled their bail conditions with the exception of 3rd accused, Foday Vahfomba Bawoh, who has been sent to the Male Correctional Centre.

1st accused (Nallo) faces 30 Counts, 2nd accused (Suma) 4 Counts, 3rd accused (Bawoh) 20 Counts, 4th accused (Samura Kamara) 2 counts, 5th accused (Dr. Kandeh F.B. Kamara) 16 Counts, and 4 Counts for 6th accused (Davies). They all denied the allegations.
Dr. Kandeh Foday Basil Kamara (5th accused) and Jules Sanders Davies (6th accused) were not in court because they are currently out of the country.
The indictments range from misappropriation of public funds, conspiracy to commit a corruption offence, abuse of office and other corruption-related offences contrary to the Anti-Corruption Act No. 12 of 2008 as amended by the Anti-Corruption Amendment Act, No. 9 of 2019).

The matter was adjourned to 5th of January 2022.

UDP senior administrative secretary has said in his witness statement President Adama Barrow promised alkalolu that they will be appointed and paid, arguing that this was an inducement of the local government leaders.

UDP filed a petition at the Supreme Court on Tuesday challenging the December 4 presidential election result. They want the top court to cancel the election.

In his witness statement filed along with the original statement, Alhagie S Darboe alleged he knows for a fact President Barrow in his campaign made promises to the alkalolu that they will be appointed and paid D3,000 per month.

“…And this I know is an inducement to them for the purpose of election,” he alleged.

Darboe said elsewhere in his statement that he knows for a fact that in the course of the campaign, the NPP mobilised governors, chiefs and alkalolu who participated in the election campaign on the side of the party.