By Yusufu Sesay
The Provincial Secretary (P.S.) North, Prince Alex Soriba; and the Resident Magistrate at the Makeni City Court Holding, Magistrate Siaka P. Kamara, are embroiled in a serious feud in Makeni City over a ‘violence’ matter in which the former (P.S. Soriba) has been accused of preventing defendants to appear in the Makeni Magistrate Court.
According reports in Makeni, last Friday’s court session was the second in a row where the PS deliberately prevented the 13 defendants from being arraigned before Magistrate Kamara. Reportedly, the Provincial Secretary stated in many fora that the defendants from Konta Village would never attend the court proceedings until the Magistrate court goes through him.
It could be recalled that mid last month, the Paramount Chief-elect of Boboli Sharry Chiefdom in Bombali District, Daniel Raymond Kamara aka Bai Anthoraneh, was reported to have allegedly sent thugs from Konta to attack neighbouring Makneh Village in the same Chiefdom, thereby destroying many properties including houses, a school building, a health centre, and even defecated in the two water wells in the village.
The matter was reported to the Mena Police Station in Makeni, and some of the culprits were arrested and brought to the station. “But due to the intervention
of P.S. Soriba, the thugs were swiftly released,” a source said, noting that such an action prompted the Makneh people to seek redress in court.
Allegedly, since the matter was brought to court, P.S. Soriba stood in the way of justice by giving order to the perpetrators not to appear in court. It is further reported that the Provincial Secretary does not work alone. “The P.S. Soriba works in Connivance with the ONS Coordinator of the District Josephine Miatta Saffa to pervert justice in broad day light,” a plaintiff from Makneh lamented.
When contacted through several phone calls, Prince Alex Soriba declined to comment; but Josephine Miatta Saffa noted that she is aware of the issue, and that they are working relentlessly to resolve it.
