232NEWS, FREETOWN–
The Legal Aid Board represented 104 convicted inmates whose cases were reviewed at the Prison Court in Mafanta in the Tonkolili District on the 21 September 2023. The court was presided over by Justice Alusine Sesay of the Supreme Court of Sierra Leone.
All the 104 inmates whose cases were slated for review, had been convicted on various charges at Magistrate Courts level around the country including Freetown and were serving their sentences at the Mafanta Correctional Center. These include 35 on Larceny, 9 on fraudulent Conversion, 8 on Obtaining Money by False Pretense, 5 on Conspiracy, 8 on Domestic Violence and 2 on Wounding.
Among the 104 convicted inmates represented by Legal Aid Counsels, 44 were released while 60 had their sentences reduced. The convicted cases were represented by Legal Aid Counsels Mohamed Korie (as Lead) and Osman Kamara and a Contract Lawyer J.E. Turay.
The Legal Counsel Mohamed Korie praise his colleagues for representing all the convicted inmates in one day. ‘These inmates were all indigents, so were legally bound to represent all of them and thankfully we rose to the occasion,’ Counsel Korie, adding, ‘As a matter of fact we continue represent almost all the indigents accused persons, who are in the majority by the way, in the Courts.’
The Executive Director described the representation to all the inmates at the Prison Court as a demonstration of how fast the Scheme as grown over time. ‘We continue to demonstrate that we have no competitor when it comes to carrying the criminal calendar,’ she said.
