By Foday Jalloh
The High Court of Sierra Leone presided over by Hon Judge Justice Tonia Bannet, has last Friday 14 July ordered a foreign construction company based in the country, CSE to pay the sum of over a One Billion Five Hundred Million Leones (Le1.5B) to a former worker of the company who was injured in an accident while on duty. The cash compensation is a form of redress meant to be paid to the victim by the company, for a damage caused the complainant who involved in the dreadful accident that left him with as a single-leg amputee.
The payment order emerged in the wake of a case filed to the High Court by a Human Right lawyer, Elvis Kargbo Esq.
According to lawyer Kargbo, if CSE fails to offer his client a well certify benefit, he will be left with no option but becomes streets beggar.
The complainant who happens to be the victim, is a single-leg amputee and was a full-time staff-driver with CSE, prior to him becoming a single-leg amputee.
The complainant victim was in active service for the Senegalese company when he sadly involved in an accident that led to the amputation of one of his legs.
According to the evidence placed before the court by lawyer Kargbo, justifies that the complainant-victim was in active service during the period when the company in question was constructing the Mabang Bridge in Moyamba in districts, the South of Sierra Leone.
Evidence also presented before the High Court of Sierra Leone have it that the complainant-victim, in his request for compensation and benefit from the company, proposed Forty New Leones as payment benefit.
The complainant-victim had long before now told the court that he genuinely served the company with no criminal records.
Upon assessment of Human Rights and international best practice and the law, Hon Judge Justice Tonia Bannet came up with a ruling order of payment against the CSE the above stated sum.
As it stands, the court battle continues with uncertainties if the construction company is willing to pay, or do not have the said amount remains unknown.
However, CSE is currently before the Appeal Court of Sierra Leone requesting that the court set aside the ruling of the High Court.
The Appeal Court has also ordered commercial banks in Sierra Leone to freeze all accounts of CSE for a week.
The legal battle continues in the Appeal Court of Sierra Leone Monday July 17, 2023.
Lawyer Kargbo who in on record of representing Sierra Leoneans in matters relating to Human Right issues, especially for the less privileged, took his time to investigate the CSE company with regards the company’s operational system in Sierra Leone.
With special interest to commercial banks where CSE has accounts, the Human Right lawyer was ensured that over ten commercial banks showed case their bank statements in an open court.
The bank statements were accepted as exhibit against CSE Company.
