By Janet A Sesay
A sombre atmosphere is felt at the High Court of Sierra Leone when 11 accused persons whose matters were to be heard on that day were absent.
Among the absentees were Vandi Sheriff, Tamba Sesay, Humphry Wongo, Jessie Bangura, Sammy Kemokai, Sulaiman Jubateh, Abdulia Sesay alias Teckno and Emmanuel Turay and others.
The absence of the 11 accused persons made the presiding Judge, Justice Simeon Allieu Sesay to inquire their whereabouts.
In their response to the judge’s enquiry, the bailiffs told the court that the prisoners were not served with the indictment that would have made them appear in court.
Owing to the absence of the accused persons, state counsel, Yusif Sesay applied for an adjournment so that the prisoners could be properly served with the indictment for the next court sitting.
The presiding Judge granted the application of service by state counsel so that the trials could be expedited.
He ordered the undersheriff Falta Deen Gabrisie of the High Court to effect service on the 3rd June 2020.
The Presiding Judge reasonably believes that prior to the said date, the matters of the accused persons will have been assigned to a sitting Judge by the Chief Justice.
However, trial for the few prisoners who were in court on that day continued.
The few attendees on that day’s proceedings reasonably believed that the absentees were those prisoners who ran out of luck during the April 29 attempted jail break.
The attendees considered the reason offered by the bailiff as a mere camouflage to cover up the April killings.
Most of the attendees who walked out of the court in disappointment never returned.
Their disappointment could not be unconnected to the riots that erupted at the Pa Demba Road Male Correctional Facility where fatal shootings occurred.
The riots were believed to be a direct product of the suspension of court sittings for a month. The inmates received the news with sadness as they could not see the light of a free day for the coming month.
However, the riots and the prevalence of insecurity across the country compelled the authorities reconsider the decision.
In what appears a show of kindness, President Julius Maada Bio personally appealed to the Chief Justice, His Lordship, Baba Tunde Edwards to resume court sittings for speedy and fair trials.
The President made the appeal in a televised address to the nation.
In response, the Chief Justice in a press release dated 11th May, 2020 ordered the criminal sessions of the High Court, including magistrates’ courts, to resume.
“Following from His Excellency, the President’s call for the judiciary to consider appropriate measures to adjudicate the cases that emerge from the widespread and heightened insecurity in the country, the judiciary informs the general public that with effect from Monday 18th of May 2020, the May Criminal sessions of the High Court will commence in Freetown, Makeni, Bo, Kenema and Kono,” the press release reads in part.
Matters of the accused persons come up again on the 3rd June.