August 17, 2016 By Patrick Jaiah Kamara
Lawyer Pa Momoh Fofanah has instituted a legal action in the High Court against the Minister of Social Welfare Gender and Children’s Affairs, Dr. Sylvia Olayinka Blyden and two others for a piece of land situated at Hamilton village, just outside the capital city.
The plaintiff’s lawyer, A.K. Kamara has asked the court to slam an interim injunction on the defendants-Dr. Sylvia Olayinka Blyden, Mrs. Isatu Gbekeh and Mrs. Sylvia Editha J. Blyden from entering the said land until the court determines the true owner of the property.
The Plaintiff’s counsel alleged in his affidavit that the 2nd defendant sometimes in January, 2016 purportedly claimed a portion of the land as belonging to her and her late husband, Tamba Pujeh Gbekei.
He claimed that the defendants unlawfully entered the land and destroyed a makeshift structure built by the plaintiff, valued seven million Leones and allegedly carted away certain properties valued eight million Leones.
Lawyer Kamara further alleged in exhibit-D of their affidavits that the defendants had violently entered the Plaintiff’s land with thugs and armed men and destroyed property amounting to one hundred and Sixteen Million Leones.
According to the affidavit filed in opposition by lawyer Yada Williams Esq. on behalf of Dr. Sylvia Blyden (1st defendant) and others, one Alusine Turay was alleged to have been a Ward of Pa. Lahai Turay, caretaker of Dr. Blyden’s mother.
Dr. Blyden stated in her affidavit that the third defendant and her predecessors in title have been in possession of the said land for a period of over hundred years and have further demonstrated ownership, thus challenging that her mother was the rightful owner of the said land, and that she had not trespassed on any land belonging to the Plaintiff.
Dr. Sylvia Blyden has exhibited in the affidavit that the Plaintiff had deceived the youths at Hamilton Village into believing that the defendants had sold the land to him.
She told the court that the conduct of the Plaintiff had been reported to the Minister of Lands, Country Planning and the Environment, adding that it was exhibited in their affidavit.
She denied having knowledge of any complaint made against them at Adonkia Police Division regarding malicious damage.
“I made a complaint against the Plaintiff and his thugs for assaulting my personal security at the same police Division. I am not aware of any report made against me,”she told the presiding judge, Justice Komba Kamanda.
Meanwhile, the matter was adjourned to Thursday August 18th 2016 for the plaintiff’s lawyer to finish his argument.