While away …

We missed a lot in terms of commenting on issues of the day on a daily basis. The trial of the One Blood Clique family had begun, with Magistrate Komba Kamanda of Court No.2 refusing bail to the 14 boys accused of terrorizing and looting residents of the Brookfield’s community on the night of May 11 this year.

The clique said to have being one of the deadliest in the west central Freetown was reportedly threatening to strike terror once again in protest of their captured members by the police. The proliferation of clique and armed gangs has received wider condemnations more so when elections in November are underway.

Inasmuch as those youths were arrested on suspicion that they unleashed terror attacks on innocent residents at Brookfield’s, we call on the authorities to establish a speedy trial and the police to heighten community tracking and surveillance patrolling to unseat some of these residential menaces.

Also we missed to give updates on the death of Sierra Leone’s minority leader in the parliament, Hon. Momoh Pujeh whose sudden death took place on Friday May 18. The Hon. Momoh Pujeh was renowned in the execution of his state avowed duties in the well of parliament and is sadly missed. It is unknown whether Hon. Emmanuel Tommy would succeed him permanently as minority leader. A heart felt condolence –from Sierra Express Media.

The Open Government Initiative (OGI) also went successfully at the Miatta Conference Hall, hosting Paramount Chiefs, Civil Society Organizations, the Press, members of the public and the Government.

In the close of two days of raising concerns on various issues affecting the citizenry, President Koroma reiterated thereon that such was why the OGI was significant as it creates a platform upon which the government listens to please and cries of those they govern and put on course their concerns for amends.

Sierra Express Media has also been monitoring reports for its news updates on the timber documentary trial Holden in the High Courts of Sierra Leone and the adjournment date from its first session was May 21^st. The trial resumed and there was continued lack of evidence, which the Anti Corruption Commission has still not supplied yet. Co-defendant Alex Mansaray was absent again in the second seating with the trial adjourned for the second time to June 4.

Also controversy continues to loom on the KPMG audit report which seems to rope in The Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) on stance of corruption and usurpation of finances it accrued in the last successive managements. Analysis of the report in the various local tabloids makes vivid picture of the fact that monies were in the period under review expended out of the coffers of the SLBC without checks and balances, which warrants probity.

Yet we see the Anti Corruption Commission placed 18 indictment charges on Josiah Paris, proprietor of Universal Radio FM 98.7 and Dr. William Conteh and co. in the 50^th, anniversary committee case of mismanagement of funds in the Passover event of the golden jubilee anniversary and lot more on the pipeline.

However, we continue to see rise in the number of death tolls of commuters in the public commercial transport sector which has necessitated the Sierra Leone Road Authority (SLRTA) to jointly organize a seminar workshop for motor driver and owners on road transport safety measures.

Readers with a few highlights of these major news summaries, we are glad to inform you that we are back and God willing to stay!!!

Stay with Sierra Express Media, for your trusted place in news!