The resident High Court Judge in Bo, Southern Sierra Leone, Honourable Justice Alfred T. Ganda is currently presiding over 18 cases of Sexual Penetration and other related offences brought before the High Court marking the start of the June Criminal Sessions in the District headquarter town of Pujehun.
The cases range from Conspiracy; Sexual Penetration; threatening to kill; Larceny and murder among others.
During today’s opening Session, accused Musa Giloma Kallon was brought before the Court on a three count indictment of Sexual Penetration, Sexual Touching and Meeting a child for Sexual Purposes contrary to law.
According to the particulars of offence, the accused on the 3rd January 2021 at Jeniva Village, in Makpele Chiefdom, Pujehun District Southern Sierra Leone sexually penetrated a 10-year-old girl.
In his testimony shortly after the trial by Judge Alone Application was granted by the presiding judge, Detective Police Constable 15458 John Yanson Turay, attached to Zimmi Police Station admitted knowing the 10-year-old victim and the accused.
He told the court that upon receipt of the report by a relative of the victim, he issued a Police Medical Request Form to the victim’s relative which was later endorsed and returned.
The matter was adjourned for continuation of trial.
Also, accused Saidu Samai pleaded guilty to all counts of sexual penetration levied against him for sexually penetrating a two-year-old child in Helebu Village, Pejei Chiefdom in Pujehun District, Southern Sierra Leone.
Judgment in respect of this matter was reserved for 16th June, 2021.
Other accused persons including Mohamed Kanneh, Sai Fabbah, Allieu Tommy Lamin pleaded guilty to the offence of sexual penetration with their cases reserved for judgment.
The cases are being prosecuted by the Principal State Counsel, Yusuf Sulaiman Koroma while Lawyer Kabba Sei Coomber from Legal Aid Board is defending the accused persons.
.MTHE Holds Dialogue Session with Staff & Students of Eastern Polytechnic
The Ministry of Technical and Higher Education has held a dialogue session with Academic and Administrative Staff and the Students’ Union Government of Eastern Polytechnic at Ahmed Tejan Kabba Hall in Kenema.
The meeting was health in a bid to hear the needs and challenges of the Institution with a view to providing sustainable remedies to them.
In his welcome address, the Principal of Eastern Polytechnic, Prof. Mohamed Konneh, thanked the Ministry for giving them the opportunity to discuss pertinent issues to their Institution’s growth.
He appreciated the Government of Sierra Leone, through the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education, for having given them staff capacity-building opportunities in the area of international scholarships to their Staff, regular payment of salaries and subventions, the 50% salary adjustment etc.
The President of Academic Staff Association (ASA) at Eastern Polytechnic, Mr. Joe Diawo, started off by disclosing the cordiality that exists between ASA and the Administration of Eastern Polytechnic, noting the Administration’s support to members who have had the desire for further studies.
He expressed his gratitude to the Ministry for the many strides made to transform their Institution, but he however noted that the key areas in which they would need support, ranging from the transformation of Eastern Polytechnic into a University, promotion of Lecturers, retirees meeting their ex-gratia on time, staff bus provision, to age not being a deterrent to the award of scholarships.
The Students’ Union President of Eastern Polytechnic, Mr. Abdul Rahman Jalloh, thanked the Ministry for answering to their call. According to him, students are challenged with lack of a student bus, an outdoor sitting facility for students, and a photocopy center, requesting the government to consider such needs.
In his keynote address, the Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Prof. Alpha Tejan Wurie, noted Government’s readiness to transform Eastern Polytechnic into Eastern Technical University, with the repeal of the University Act of 2005 and an enactment of the University Act of 2021. He mentioned the need to have at least a University in every region of Sierra Leone, adding that the Eastern Region is the only without one. According to Prof. Wurie, the legal framework needs to be defined right for the University to exist. “The intended timeline is for the first set of students to enroll into the Eastern Technical University in October 2021” he envisaged.
