Who’s that Special Court security chief?
The Special Court Chief Security Officer, Saleem Vahidy, is reportedly having pressure from witnesses promised relocation after surrendering testimonies in the wells of the court’s chambers – trial chambers I &II.
It is a fact that Saleem, who acts as chief security officer for the Special Court, acts also as head of Witness Victims Section (WVS).
It has also been told that Saleem,a few months past, was in Ghana with a witness for medical checkups, but returned after confirming that the witness has an infectious sickness.
Be it known that one of Revolutionary United Front (RUF) commander, who testified in the AFRC and RUF trials, Gibril Massaquoi, has since been relocated with his family to a country far off Sierra Leone.
Disclosures also have it that Saleem has never granted relocation opportunities to any of the hundreds of Special Court defence witnesses.
It is reported though that a witness, sometime in 2010, approached Saleem along Crown Bakery in central Freetown, commanding him to arrange his relocation or face the wrath.
The witness, we are told, was a prosecution witness and has long been flown out of the country.
Shades of opinion query unfair conduct of management of the Special Court on issues adjoining the relocation of witnesses to western countries.
Inside Special Court source has revealed to this press that members attached to the defence are working on plans to locate better lawyers that will defend persons indicted for contempt.
Reflection must be drawn to the serialized and countless indictments of members attached to or have dealings with the defence section of Special Court for contempt.
Just recently, five persons, all of whom have attachments to the defence of Special Court, faced charges of contempt.
Their indictment, according to a release put out by the court, came owing to allegation that the accused interfered with a witness that testified in the Charles Taylor trial.
It has been confirmed that the witness who claims to have been interfered with, is seemingly in a state of confusion owing to his present medical status; Saleem Vahidy knows it all, but is scared to say it out.
More on this next issue.
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