Special Court’s contempt case… cynical!
The Special Court of Sierra Leone recently announced contempt indictment of five Sierra Leoneans, two of whom are war crimes convicts currently serving sentences in the Mpanga Prison in Rwanda.
In a release put out by the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL), it is alleged that all five culprits interfered with one of the court’s witnesses in the Charles Taylor trial.
Findings have it that since the setting up of the Special Court, on number of occasions, has formulated contempt charges against workers and family members of war crime indictees, but never did same to personnel attached to the prosecution.
Hassan Papa Bangura aka Bomblast, Samuel Kargbo aka Sammy Ragga, two war crimes convicts, Santigie Borbor Kanu and Ibrahim Bazzy Kamara await trial of contempt by the Special Court.
The culprits have been accused of interfering with a witness in the Charles Taylor trial. That persons indicted are closely linked to the defence section of the Special Court.
It is also confirmed that the Special Court has never granted relocation rights to witnesses of the defence.
In 2005, the prosecution of the Special Court pursued contempt trial against one of the private investigators of the defence of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC), but lost the case woefully.
A good number of persons attributed the prosecution of the said private investigator as having the traits of a ‘set up’ by members of the court nay handicapping endeavours of the defence on issues of evidence gathering.
It has reached this press that a witness (name withheld) was reportedly flown to Ghana on medical checkup, where it was proved that he has a contagious disease and cannot enjoy relocation rights as called for by the court. The head of witness victims section (WVS), who also doubles as chief security officer, Saleem Vahidy, was alongside the unnamed witness in Ghana for medical examination, but returned regrettably to Sierra Leone owing to the off-putting medical standings of the witness.
Be it known that the Special Court has rights to relocate witness/es to countries outside Sierra Leone. Public’s contemplations indicate that the witness is assumingly a ‘wounded man’ and so, has lost self control, and which now renders him regular frustration thus saying/doing things unconsciously.
Findings have it that Saleem Vahidy, in 2010, was at The Hague owing to pressure from a number of prosecution witnesses, and he was once promised relocation parcels.
It could be recalled that a witness, sometime ago, confronted Saleem at the Crown Bakery, compelling him to expedite his relocation stipulation or force him do the otherwise.
Read full details on Saleem Vahidy next publication.
Stay with Sierra Express Media, for your trusted place in news!
© 2011, https:. All rights reserved.
