By Musa Paul Feika
Inspector-General of Police, Ambrose Michael Sovula runs the risk of being roped in for contempt of court for defiance of a court order.
As the under-sheriff in the judiciary, the Inspector-General is charged with the responsibility of enforcing court orders especially evictions, executions of warrants and subpoenas among other duties.
Mr Sovula was ordered by the High Court to evict squatters on the estate of Carlton Carew Family on Wilkinson Road in Freetown.
The order came after verdicts were handed down by two judges in the superior court of judicature.
The first judgement was delivered on June 13, 2014 by Justice Browne Marke.
Another judgement was also handed down by justice Halloway.
Both verdicts favoured the plaintiff, Onipede Cline Thomas.
“This Honourable Court grants a declaration to the plaintiff that the plaintiff is the owner of and person entitled to possession of all that piece of land and any structures thereupon situate, lying and being at Thompson’s Bay, Off Wilkinson Road Freetown in the Western Area of the Republic of Sierra Leone,” a portion of the judgement reads.
According to the judgement, the plaintiff should immediately recover possession of her estate.
It is also stated in the judgement further that the plaintiff is entitled to damages for trespass running into Le25M.
The verdict also grants the plaintiff an injunction restraining the defendant, his servants, agents and any other person from trespassing on the land declared to that of the plaintiff.
Although the IG has been furnished with sufficient copies of the judgement, he still remained defiant in executing the order.
The police, most times, cite security threats and assessment to justify undue delay.
At a press conference held on Sanders Street in Freetown, a member of the Carew Family also a beneficiary, Conrad Carlton Carew told journalists that the matter was commenced in the High Court in 1992 by Onipede Cline Thomas nee Carlton as plaintiff.
The lawsuit was meant to recover possession of property situated at Thompson Bay Off Carlton Carew/ Wilkinson Road in Freetown.
A document seen by this press indicates that the Carew Family has been in possession of the land since 1925.
The delay in the execution of the order left Conrad Carew with no option but to solicit the assistance of highly placed government officials including the Minister of Internal Affairs and office of the President.
The main motive is to ensure that the Inspector-General of Police uses all means at his disposal to execute the court order.
Despite all effort made by the plaintiff, action is yet to be made by the police.
See next edition.