Why This Sudden Twist?
There is an ongoing argument and a suspected conflict in reporting the unfolding at High Court where the matter between Momoh Kemoh Konte Vs the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) on behalf of the state was being heard. Whilst other news media outlets are profane of reporting the accounts of happenings in the trials, others are taking the strains to strike the balance of reporting the fact which, to the Journalist is sacred.
Saying this means not that the journalists do not have an issue with telling the truth, but it is a popular vogue in journalism that “facts are sacred, opinion is free”. As a medium we have been reporting exactly our covering on the issue in court in which Sorious Samura was giving testimony as Prosecution Witness two (PW2).
Honestly we did report that Sorious traveled out of jurisdiction at a time his cross examination was at the climax point. He did reveal so many relevant points in court that would likely help in shaping opinions of the lawyers in their final analysis which we are hesitant to delve too much on for fear of not prejudicing the matter under trial.
Now we begin to understand a different version of how the ACC star witness vamoosed out of the shores of Sierra Leone. We came to court on Wednesday morning, June 27 and the prosecution lawyer, Reginald S Fyn reported that, Sorious Samura the star witness in the timber documentary trial had traveled out of jurisdiction.
Now we understand that Sorious actually outstayed the numbers of days he agreed to prior to his coming to testify in the controversial timber trial.
Many were left to wonder why Sorious would decide to runaway and make an attempt to sell uncouth that would defame his nationalistic pride.
What appears stinging in the tale is the missing line between reality and the cooked-up fantasy in the argument raised so far. Again this question is relevant, why did the trial judge at the High Court Justice Cham fail to inform the court on Tuesday that proceedings on the said matter will come to standstill due to the star witnesses’ leave of absence?
As a true patriot like Sorious is claiming to be, using the backdrop of wanting to help his country out by exposing the excesses of corrupt officials or better still individuals, this is the best time and hour for him to prove this valor.
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Mohamed Bangalie
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Some of us who have been privy to work with reputable judicial systems would revealed that witnesses who have other obligations would normally have their testimonies done with so as not to interfere with their obligation. Soross does not work for Sierra Leone. He is not resident in Sierra Leone. He must have been given time to come and help prosecute a case that he was a witness in Sierra Leone and I am sure such information must have been given to the Prosecutor. What reputable judicial systems would do is to have extended sittings so as to finish his testimony and allow him return to his place of abode and work. If this was not done and the man has to return, it is unfair that crook journalist were given a free hand to tell lies and innuendoes against his person when the court and the prosecutor should have made it clear that the problem is not with Soross but the management of the Judicial system in Sierra Leone.
5th July 2012