By Feima Sesay Isata Kabby, a suckling mother and a traveling consultant was on Wednesday 19th July 2023, granted bail in the sum of sixty thousand new Leones for allegedly obtaining $2 USD from Emmanuel Samuel Ola Ledlum for visa to Canada .The accused made her first appearance before Magistrate Mark Ngegba of Pademba road court No1 and was arraigned on one count charge of Obtaining money by false pretences contrary to section 32 (1) of the larceny Act 1916. According to the charge, the accused Isata Kabay in December 2021, at Hill Cut Junction Freetown with intent to defraud obtained the sum of two thousand united states dollars which if equivalent to forty four thousand six hundred new Leones (NLe 44.600) from Emmanuel Samuel Ola ledlum by falsely pretending that he will facilitate his traveling to Canada knowing same to be false. The complainant was present in court but the prosecutor ASP Ibrahim S Mansaray requested for a date on the grounds that he has not heard conference with the witness and there for could not proceed. Defense counsel PS Vandi applied for bail on her behalf pursuant to section 79 of the criminal procedure Act 1965. Magistrate Ngegba however granted bail to the accused in the sum of sixty   thousand new Leones with one surety who must be gainfully employed and that the bail should be approved by Deputy Assistance Registrar whiles the matter was adjourned to the 2nd August 2023.

By Sheku Putka Kamara The fact that good governance is of essence cannot be overstated. It is something that is desperately needed the world over and Sierra Leone is not an exception. Governance refers to all processes of governing, the institutions, processes and practices through which issues of common concern are decided upon and regulated. Good governance adds a normative or evaluative attribute to the process of governing. From a human rights perspective it refers primarily to the process whereby public institutions conduct public affairs, manage public resources and guarantee the realization of human rights.  While there is no internationally agreed definition of ‘good governance’, it may span the following topics: full respect of human rights, the rule of law, effective participation, multi-actor partnerships, political pluralism, transparent and accountable processes and institutions, an efficient and effective public sector, legitimacy, access to knowledge, information and education, political empowerment of people, equity, sustainability, and attitudes and values that foster responsibility, solidarity and tolerance. The Human Rights Council has identified the key attributes of good governance: transparency, responsibility, accountability, participation, responsiveness (to the needs of the people). Good governance and human rights are mutually reinforcing. Human rights standards and principles provide a set of values to guide the work of governments and other political and social actors. They also provide a set of performance standards against which these actors can be held accountable. Moreover, human rights principles inform the content of good governance efforts: they may inform the development of legislative frameworks, policies, programmes, budgetary allocations and other measures. On the other hand, without good governance, human rights cannot be respected and protected in a sustainable manner. The implementation of human rights relies on a conducive and enabling environment. This includes appropriate legal frameworks and institutions as well as political, managerial and administrative processes responsible for responding to the rights and needs of the population. In Sierra Leone, we should therefore continue to make sure that we practice democratic good governance at all levels for the good of our country and the people.

By Feima Sesay Orange (SL) Limited adopts Zero tolerance to corruption and is committed to conduct its operations in a sound and ethical manner. The company ensures compliance to all national, European and international legal and regulatory provisions applicable to the business related to the fight against corruption, notably amongst others, the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the UK Bribery Act, the French “Sapin il” law & the Sierra Leone Anti-Corruption Act 2008 as amended in 2019. The company operates within the scope of set policies that guarantees the integrity and ethics of the day-to-day business operations. Understanding, adopting, and applying all compliance policies is key to the success of our business. Upholding these shared values will facilitate collaboration with our stakeholders based on trust and mutual respect and will also create a powerful team with the right values to respond to challenges that arise in the ever-changing global environment in which we operate. In accordance with the shared value of transacting business ethically, you can raise an alert about any illegal, unethical, corrupt or fraudulent conduct by any employee of the company.

By Feima Sesay The first defense witness in the ongoing chancery building matter before Justice Adrain Fisher of the high court in Freetown Saidu Nallo on Wednesday 19th July 2023 continued his testimony in court. By 2015, he said they had to move out of the five floors Chancery building which was in its unfit for habitation state; decaying, infested by rats and roaches, broken heating and cooling systems and licking rooftop among other dangers it posed.  He said he had attempted to go to the said building only twice due to its state. The ground floor which had some of the very important offices including the head of Chancery’s and accountant’s he said were terrible with the entire building in need of urgent attention  at the time having visible cracks. As a result of the shameful state of the building, he said the Ambassador seldom seats there and preferred hanging out at the main UN building. Like the ambassador, the witness said he also only briefly visits that building which housed his office and rather was engaged in outreach coordination activities for Sierra Leone. The mission he said was constrained with funds hence the setting up of a committee for the refurbishment of the building comprising the head of Chancery especially with the country’s bad history of tenancy in New York. The committee he said sourced ideas and resources to make it better. During his tenure at the United Nations, he said the New York City building department; insurance as well had visited and done inspections on the said building issuing warnings. Around May of 2015 while he was still a Councilor, he said the condition of the Sierra Leone mission building forced them to move to Uganda house. A rent of about 15 thousand dollars was being paid for the very small space they were allocated in the 8th floor at the Uganda house. While at the Uganda house, he said they became under pressure with letters of violations and fines from the city’s building department. On his recall to Freetown in November 2015 and resumed duties at the ministry of foreign affairs until December of 2017, he said he was intimated by the DDG about the challenges that existed with securing the much needed funds for the properties of the state overseas including but not limited to Ghana, Gambia and Ethiopia. Mr. Nallo said the sum of two million dollars was provided in 2011 by a certain development partner and another two million dollars in 2019. The then ambassador Francis Kaikai he said advised the partner to remit the said fund in tranches through Freetown. He said he saw on document in New York the disbursement of one million dollars in 2016 of that money to the mission in New York. The other remittances he said were done in bits but payments to the contractor were stopped in September 2017, three months before he resumed office in new York such office of the head of Chancery which he only started in March 2018. At the time, the contractors he said had gone on strike due to backlog payments to Mr. Jules Davies. The deputy director general on administration he said was directly in charge of government properties abroad. By 2015, he said Mr. Paul Minah was serving in that capacity. His mandate as head of Chancery he said was broad, but primarily to coordinate, supervise and monitor the day to day administration activities among things should bring out the best for the country. He said there was no formal handing over note from his predecessor whom he said he saw only once, an issue which he even raised in a memo to Freetown. It was Mr. Sheku Massally who was the acting head of Chancery and erroneously referred to as the Procurement secretary, and Adekalie Foday Suma was at the time the Ambassador. After consultations, he said he braved it to meet with the contractor who was already owed and was being escaped by members of the Chancery as a result. At this stage of his testimony, his lawyer Pa Momoh Fofanah requested for an adjournment to Wednesday 26th July to go further into the management of the refurbishment of the Chancery. His application was granted by Justice Fisher.