It has been more than ten days since Hon Bai Mahmoud Bangura, the organizing Secretary of the main opposition party the APC was arrested, and locked up in connection with the November 26 incident.
Section 17 (3) Any person who is arrested or detained in such a case as is mentioned in paragraph (e) or (f) of subsection (1) and who is not released shall be brought begird a court of law
(a) within ten (10) days from the date of arrest in cases of capital offenses, offenses carrying life imprisonment………….”
This above section implies that any citizen arrested and accused of capital punishment or any of the other crimes mentioned in the above section; that accused should be charged to court within the specified time as stated in the Constitution or granted bail with or without conditions or be free if there is no case.
Unfortunately, Bai Mahmoud Bangura is languishing in solitary confinement at the special court detention center, which is contrary to section 17 (3) (a) of the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone and article 6 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights and article 9 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
In that regard, if the government doesn’t have a case against Bai Mahmoud, he must be freed immediately, or granted bail with or without restrictions, as that is fundamental in upholding the rule of law and a free democratic society.
Until then stay tuned
Courtesy of Sledge Hammer
By Abdul Bero Kamara ( Chief)
15/12/23
