By Feima Sesay
After her continuing absence from criminal proceedings and ignoring court orders , the situation continues to escalate as the former minister of Finance Patricia Laveley failed to appear in Court again as Magistrate Santigie Bangura is growing impatient.
Again, court hearings got stalled with legal debates on Monday 2nd December 2024 before Magistrate Santigie Bangura of Pademba Road Court number 2 .
The Magistrate again ruled that the former Deputy Minister 2, Patricia Laverley should be in court on the next adjourned date or else he will remand both sureties at the Correctional center.
This order came after defense Lawyer Leon Jenkins Johnston informed the court that the accused is still at the Intensive Care Unit at Choichram and asked that the court move to the hospital to see that the former Minister is hospitalized.
The lawyer gain apologized to the court for her absence nothing that she is still at the ICU as she is suffering from heart attack.
He argued that the court could go and confirm the health status of the former Minister.
Defense lawyer on the other hand informed the Magistrate that they were able to initiate communication between the family of the victim Minister Nabela and the family of accused Laverley even though they have not come to conclusion.
He said they were well received by the family of the victim and had apologized to the victim for the incident that occurred at the Presidential office which led to the physical fight .
He described her client as one of the best serving Ministers in the Bio government.
Defense Lawyer Johnston that they wanted the former deputy Minister to be in court to do the needful but that they needed sufficient time for her to sought out her medical issues.
He said he would love the former Minister to be in court in a fit and proper manner.
Lawyer Jenkins pleaded with the Magistrate to give them time so that the accused would be in a better State of health to be in court.
He said she was cooperating with the court especially on the first appearance and until became sick.
He pleaded with the Magistrate and the state Lawyer to exercise patience and that they would ensure that the matter be resolved as quickly as possible.
Defence LawyerYusuf Isaac Sesay in reply said there is a court order and that they are expecting a compliance of that order which he said was instructive.
He argued that as a State they are not adverse to anything that will hinder Justice.
He said during the first appearance , the former Minister Laverley was in court and she pleaded not guilty of the offense when the charges were read and explained to her.
Lawyer Yusuf Sesay noted that the former Minister couldn’t be under oxygen from the 17 November and uptill now in December 2024, this he said couldn’t be possible.
He said the apology from the former Minister should not be taken because the accused her self in open court pleaded not guilty and now she couldn’t go through the back door to beg for her wrongs.
Lawyer Sesay further explained that the defense team are is playing on their intelligence, adding that the former Minister needs to be seen in court if not the bench warrant should be enforced.
Defense Lawyer in reply also argued that what the State wants is also what they also want for the matter to be resolved but said the bench warrant for the former Minister should not be issued for fear it doesn’t worsen the health condition of the former Minister.
Magistrate Santigie after listening to both sides of the argument, said the defense team are the ones prolonging the matter, describing justice as something that should be for both sides.
He said if the former Minister is seriously sick as stated by the defense, she should be in court for everyone to see and if it turns out to be true he has the right to make the necessary oders.
Lead Lawyer Leo Johnston explained that the court should move to Choitram to verify the situation of the accused.
Again , the State Lawyer Sesay opposed to that saying that the defense Lawyer was the one who medical report before the Court and he should be the one again to get a medical doctor to the Court court to ascertain the report but that they had refused to do so.
He said if the defense are afraid that the former Minister will collapsed in Court if brought but they are not afraid for her traveling her to Ghana for medical treatment which has several struggles.
The Magistrate in his remarks said he have to talk to the sureties as they understand what was written on the bail conditions for bail .
He therefore ordered both sureties that if the former Minister did not appear in court on Wednesday, they the sureties will be detained.
The matter was adjourned to Wednesday 4th December, 2024.
It could be recalled that the former Minister Patricia Laverley was arraigned before the court on two count charges ranging from inflicting grevious bodily harm contrary to section 20 of the offense against the person’s act 1861 and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
The indictment states that the former Minister Laverley on the 12 November, 2024 at State House in Freetown, assaulted Nabella Farida Tunis with intent to inflict grevious bodily harm on her.
The indictment further said that the former Minister Laverley on the same day and place assaulted Nabella Farida Tunis in a manner thereby occasioning her actual bodily harm.
