By Alusine Fullah
The Sierra Leone’s Court of Appeal in Freetown, on December 7th, 2023 affirmed the findings of the Commission of Inquiry (COI) report against former President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma and his ex-Finance Minister, Dr. Samura Kamara and court delivered a final judgment with substantial penalties on Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma and Dr. Samura Kamara.
The COI, initiated by President Julius Maada Bio in 2018, focused on scrutinizing the activities of past government officials, particularly the eleven years of the All People’s Congress administration. The Commissioners—Justice Biobele Georgewill, the late Justice Bankole Thomposn, and Justice William Annan Atuguba—presented their findings, implicating certain officials, including former President Koroma and some ministers.
Former President Koroma, represented by Lawyers Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara, Africanus Sorie Sesay, and Brima Koroma, faced an adverse judgment. The Court delivered a final judgment by directed the former president Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma to pay $135,000 to the Government of Sierra Leone within seven days, along with bearing the cost of Le300 million (old Leones). Similarly, Dr. Samura Kamara, presently the leader of the APC, was directed to pay $75,000 and bear a cost of (OL) Le250 million.
In line with the foregoing, just after the judgement from the court of Appeal, the lawyers of the former president took the new grounds of appeal. According to the grounds of appeal: “The Hon. Justice William Annan Atuguba erred in law when he failed to consider and apply the Head of State Immunity clause as provided under section 48(4) of the Constitution of Sierra 48(4) of the Constitution of Sierra provides: “While any person holds or performs the functions of the of president, no civil or criminal proceedings shall be instituted or continued against him in respect of anything done by him either in his official or private capacity…
