By Ragan M. Conteh

The Deputy Leader of opposition in Parliament Hon. Daniel Brima Koroma representing Koinadugu District, has disclosed in the Chambers of Parliarment that “Sierra Leoneans including other politicians lack integrity.”

Hon. Koroma made the disclosure on Friday 6th June,  2024 during the amendment of the Jury trail system clauses in the approved Bill entitled “Criminal procedure Act of 2024”.

It could be called that this is not the first time Hon. Koroma has made this similar statement in the Well of Parliamebt during heated debates.

Earlier on, the Acting Leader of the opposition said that most government institutions lacked integrity, assuring that the only institution that he believes has iota or little integrity is the Audit Service Sierra Leone (ASSL).

“The protracted law or Colonia law had been in practice for the past fifteen (15) years in the country’s justice system,”speak about the latest events surrounding the abolition of the colonial acts.

Hon. Koroma confirmed that most the devious deals going in public offices, the president might not aware of them.

Master Speaker and Honourable member, he said, “the law will have an option or alternative for a matter or matters to be tried by judge alone as the case may be or by jury as the case may be.”

“Options and law, options and procedure as the case may be. I believe option and procedure are better,” he said.

He said all what Sierra Leoneans need is integrity, rather than killing other option and procedure and subjected Sierra Leoneans to only one option, incase it failed what do we do,” Hon. Koroma asked.

He said he believes in “option and procedure.”

“As you are seated before God, I myself is standing before God. I’m not fighting or contending against any bad fate,” he assured.

As Members of the opposition, he said, they wanted the clause (Jury System), to remain, adding that is the reason it must be included in the Bill in the first place.

Hon. Koroma pleaded with MPs to maintain that particular clause which talks about Jury System to remain in the Bill.

Responding to this, the leader of government business Hon. Sahr Mathew Nyuma, said other countries have dealt long ago with the Colonia laws in the case of the country’s Criminal Procedure Act of 1965, adding that, the twenty-first Century is a period of innovation in which we have to look out society and make admements to befit the people of Sierra Leone.

Talking on the implications of Jury system, Hon. Nyuma, said it renders people to temper with the justice system, referencing to the unconstitutional removal of the former Vice President, Alhaji Sam Ansumana.

The leader disclosed that it is disheartening to circumvent the law in the interested of a political party.

Hon. Nyuma said the ruling MPs wanted to do away with the Jury system as everyone knows now where the country stands in terms of the poverty rate, adding that “Justice delay, is justice denied”

He said it is very expensive and costly to practice jury system considering the country’s bad economic situation.

Hon. Nyuma said they wanted the people of Sierra Leone to have a  real justice system in the country.

He said for nature justice, there must be an appeal, but for the Jury System, you don’t have to appeal.

Conclusively, Hon. Nyuma, said Sierra Leone lacks the reuired funds to maintain the system and that “Justice delay is justice denied.”

The country’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mohamed Lamin Tarawallie, agreed and explored all MPs to do away with the new legal system.

Minister Tarawallie emphasised by saying “We are all human and men of the World” “It is [ new law] not a witch-hunt of any individual.”

He said he is very much aware of the way the system works as a legal practitioner, disclosing that there is “miscarriage of  justice” even in Western World where the above-mentioned system is being practised.

Mr. Tarawallie cited United States of America as a bright example where people were being sentenced over the yearsbut only then for therespective courts to admit that there mistakes made on those trials.

He said though those convicts may have been released but half part of their lives had gone and wasted.