Magistrate Binneh Kamara to jail NPD strongman
May 15, 2017 By Hassan Gbassay Koroma
Jesmed Suma…Don’t you know expressing your views on court proceeding is abominable in Sierra Leone and you could be jailed for that?
Magistrate Dr. Abou Bhakarr Binneh Kamara of the Siaka Steven Street court No.1, has on Friday, 12th May, 2017, threatened to jail the Policy and Membership Director of the newly formed National Progressive Democrats (NPD) party for contempt of court.
Jesmed Suma, who is before Magistrate Abou Bhakarr Binneh Kamara for preliminary investigation on two count charges of sedition contrary to Section 33(1) (6) of the Public Order Act and disorderly behaviour contrary to Section 1 of the Public Order Act No. 46 of 1965, accused the learned magistrate of ‘injustice.’
He had alleged that politicians were using the magistrate to silence the democratic voices of people, charging that he lacks the ‘ethical and moral values’ to be a magistrate in Sierra Leone.
The accused, who was in March, 2017, granted bail by Magistrate Kamara in the sum of 100 million Leones with two sureties, had claimed that higher authorities were using his case to hold on to him in the country until his green card expires, so that they could frustrate his businesses in the United States.
“It is rather unfortunate that Binneh-Kamara has used himself as an instrument. He has proven that he lacks the ethical and moral values to be a magistrate in this country,” he said.
He said the only crime he committed was by speaking against the ‘myopic’ leadership and the endemic corruption in the country.
He claimed that Magistrate Binneh-Kamara has not been in court to proceed with his case, which he said has been adjourned three times without hearing.
Reacting to the claims made by Jesmed Suma, Magistrate Kamara, on Friday, 12th May, 2017, in an open court, promised to teach the accused a lesson for allegedly tainting his personality and committing contempt of court.
According Magistrate Kamara, he was sick last week and was given two days to rest for him to recover, but knowing fully well that his court was always busy; he decided to cut the two days to one when the accused attacked his personality.
“Some People don’t know how to behave in public places, but I will deal with him. Go and tell him that I will lock him up pursuant to Section 17 of the Sierra Leone Constitution of 1991,” Magistrate Kamara threatened.