By Sulaiman Aruna Sesay
Hon. Daniel Koroma, the Member of Parliament and Deputy Leader of the opposition party APC, has expressed his deep concern over the integrity deficit that Sierra Leone faces. He made this statement during his submission in parliament during the ratification of the Criminal Procedure Act.
During his submission, Hon. Daniel Koroma stated that the issue of integrity has been a challenge for the previous president and also president Bio. Hon. Daniel Koroma also showed sympathy for President Bio, who has been leading the fight to restore integrity in Sierra Leone. “I feel sorry for President Bio because Sierra Leoneans lack integrity,” Hon. Daniel Koroma said.
He acknowledged the efforts made by the President in this regard and urged colleague MPs to vote against the removal of jury system in Sierra Leone. The Criminal Procedure Act rectification bill, which seeks to address some of the challenges faced by the justice system in Sierra Leone has been ratified and pass into law.
This bill is critical to the effective functioning of our justice system. As lawmakers, we have a responsibility to ensure that justice is served and that the rule of law is upheld. I urge all my colleagues to support the stay of the jury system and instead considering the amendment of the CPA. According to him, the amount of Jurors presently is 12 and he categorically stated that, he would prefer that amount reduce to 10 instead of completely removing it.
