December 21, 2017 Amadu Femoh Sesay
Communications Officer – IPCB
Rev. Dr. Fornah signing the MoU as Mr. Valentine Collier looks on
The Independent Police Complaints Board (IPCB) and the Human Rights Commission Sierra Leone (HRCSL) have on 19th December signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the Conference Room of the IPCB, New England in Freetown.
The purpose of the MoU is to among other things provide a framework for the way in which the IPCB and the HRCSL will deal with the referral of matters which fall within the remit of both organisations, acknowledge the preparedness of the IPCB and HRCSL in the public interest, to share with each other as far as is legal and practicable and with a duty of fairness towards the complainant, information in each agency’s possession relevant to matters within the jurisdiction of the other, and also re-affirm the commitment of the IPCB and HRCSL to the development of a positive and constructive working relationship to achieve the shared goal of the achievement of true democracy in Sierra Leone.
The signing of the MoU is consistent with Section 7 of the IPCB Regulations 2013 which provides that in the performance of its functions “the Board as it thinks appropriate may work in cooperation or in consultation with, or disseminate intelligence and information to any person or body whether public or private”.
After the signing, Chairman of the Board Mr. Valentine Collier presented the Chairperson of the Commission Rev. Dr. Usman Jesse Fornah a plaque bearing the name and logo of the IPCB. The presentation was in honour of his dedicated service during his tenure as Board Member representing the Inter-Religious Council.
Also present at the ceremony were Commissioner Grace Coleridge-Taylor, Joseph Manking Kamara, Executive Secretary, and Paul Jesse Moriba, accountant, all of HRCSL, and Althea Palmer, Finance Officer, Thomas Lahun, Contract Investigator and Amadu Femoh Sesay, Communications Officer, all of the IPCB.
The IPCB had previously signed similar MoU with the Ombudsman’s Office and hope to sign same with other institutions, including the Sierra Leone Police (SLP) and the National Commission for Democracy (NCD).