By Janet Sesay
The National Social Security and Insurance Trust Court has been opened on Saturday at the law court building on Siaka Stevens Street in Freetown.
The NASSIT court will look into matters relating to NASSIT, especially between employers and employees in the public and private sector with a particular focus on financial contributions for and registration of employees.
Two magistrates, Hannah Bonnie and Marke Ngegba have been identified to preside over the two NASSIT courts. The court sits on Saturdays except on cleaning days.
A legal officer at NASSIT, Tejan Israel said the court “is just like any other court.” “According to the NASSIT law, employers are to pay 10% of their income and 5% of the workers’ salaries making it a total of 15% paid to NASSIT on the 15th of every month,” Lawyer Israel explained. The NASSIT legal officer also emphasised that employers who fail to pay social contributions for their employees, would be taken to court by NASSIT and ensure that the former register the latter and pay their contributions towards the trust. Should the employers refuse to comply with the NASSIT Act, the law empowered the institution undertake criminal action against defaulting agencies. “The importance of this court is that the Chief Justice has directed that only NASSIT matters be heard on Saturdays thus paving way for speedy trials,” he said.
During the opening, one of the defence Counsels Ibrahim Markfoi said he was happy for the court and that as NASSIT cases matters would be tried speedily. Although it would be difficult, Markfoi continued, to attend court on Saturdays, he noted that the interest of justice came first. “ We must treat justice with seriousness,” he advised. Markfoi seems committed to making sure that his clients are satisfied by his appearance in court for them at all times.
Moses Lamin Kamara is the Public Relations Officer of the Judiciary. Kamara said the judiciary had five divisions of the High Court that were established by law. He also spoke about the commitment of the Chief Justice to expand the high court.
“When the CJ Barba take up office, he thought it fix that there should be an expansion of the High Court and he came with three additional divisions of the High Court,” kamara said.