City Council case thrown out of court

The High Court of Sierra Leone in Freetown, presided over by Justice Adelisa Showers has thrown out of court the matter between the Freetown City Council and the Independent Media Commission (IMC) for want of evidence.

It could be recalled Freetown City Council took the IMC to court for refusing to grant them a license to establish and operate a radio station. The Freetown City Council was seeking a court order to nullify the ruling of the commission and to order the IMC to grant the Council a broadcast license that had been earlier refused them.

The Council had applied under the principle of Certiorari, contrary to Section 22 of the IMC Act. The Chairperson of the Independent Media Commission (IMC), Mrs. Bernadette Cole said the IMC’s decision in refusing the issuance of a broadcast license to the Freetown City Council, was to maintain peace and tranquility within the municipality of Freetown, and the country in general, which she noted was done in public interest.

The majority of citizens interviewed by Sierra Express on the court’s action, were full of praise for the judiciary in maintaining its independence against the back drop of the Council being dominated by the ruling All Peoples Congress APC and that the granting o the license could see the re-emergence of the 2007 hate radio broadcast that led to the banning of the two political radio stations that existed.

The Chief Administrator of the Freetown City Council Bowenson Philips, however feigned ignorance that the matter against the IMC had been thrown out of court. Justice Showers also ordered the Freetown City Council to pay the sum of one million leones as costs. The Law Firm of Gerber and Co; acted on behalf of the Freetown City Council; while the IMC was represented by lawyer Crispin Fio Edwards.

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