Judgement is set to be delivered soon in the appeal court matter involving leading members of the last political administration of former President Ernest Bai Koroma.
The main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) who were found guilty by the Commission of Inquiries (COI)s, include Ex-president Ernest Bai Koroma, Dr. Samura Mathew Wilson Kamara, Mahmoud Tarawallie, Minkailu Mansaray, Hon. Mohamed Bangura, former Minister of Information and Communication among other top ex-government officials.
The three judge panel of the Court of Appeal includes Hon Justice Ivan Sesay, Hon Justice Adrian Fisher and Hon Justice Momoh Jah Stevens stand ready to deliver judgment for former government ministers, president and others.
Those individuals were found guilty by the commission of inquiry set up by the president Julius Maada Bio-led administration to whose findings they appealed on several legal grounds.
According to the three judge panel, on Monday 2 October 2023, the rulings will be delivered within two weeks as the notice will be served to the respective parties concerned.
The announcement from the three judge panel came following the appellant’s lawyers, Joseph F. Kamara, Ady Macaulay and a state lawyer A. S. Kendoh informed the panel of judges that they relied on the synopsis they had presented to the court.
The panel of judge informed the court that the matters of both former President Koroma and Dr Samura Kamara are reserved for judgment.
Lawyer Ady Macaulay, representing Mahmoud Tarawallie in the appeal court matter noted that while the COI exonerated his client, two of his houses have been confiscated without conducting an investigation into how the said properties were acquired.
Macaulay furthered that there were no records or transcripts regarding evidence from witnesses at the inquiry. Judgment was also reserved in the said matter.
Similar argument was made by lawyer Macaulay in respect of Minkailu Mansaray. However, the battle tested lawyer will return to court on Friday 5 October before which date the appellants and the state are expected to file their synopsis.
In the case of Hon. Mohamed Bangura, he was only implicated by the COI because he was collecting per diem for which he never signed, hence the reason he also lodged an appeal, Hon. Bangura lawyer told the court.
