By Amin Kef, Freetown.
All roads lead to Moyamba Town as the people of the district host the Legal Aid Board and its partners for the launch of the scheme on Saturday, 9 September 2017. The launch is expected to attract thousands at the town field.
A statement from the Board notes that the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Hon. Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara (photo, in white) will do the official launch and also deliver the keynote address. ‘The Attorney General and Minister of Justice has launched seven Legal Aid Board offices around the country so far. He will be launching the office because his Ministry supervises the Board,’ the Executive Director of the Board, Ms. Fatmata Claire Carlton-Hanciles said.
The Board has been providing justice services in Moyamba since 2016 when it opened an office in that part of the country. To date, it remains the only office with a lawyer that is resident in the district. In addition, it has two Paralegals based in the District.
Ms. Carlton-Hanciles has described the launch as an opportunity to interact with ordinary people and find out the problems they face in accessing the justice system. ‘In our last visit to Moyamba Town on August 4 we were shocked to learn that the Correctional Center was overcrowded and does not have a vehicle to convey accused persons to court,’ she said. ‘Also, the High Court has sat once in Moyamba since the start of the year. Those who are fined by the Magistrate upon delivery of judgment have not been able to secure their release from detention because the National Revenue Authority (NRA) does not have a presence in the town. We had raised these issues with the relevant institutions and want to see what has been done to address them.’
Speaking on the preparations for the launch from Moyamba Town, Emmanuel Sam of the Legal Aid Board said there is a lot of excitement among the people because of the impact of the Board in addressing the justice needs of the people. He noted that the Sierra Leone Motor Drivers Union has provided a vehicle for publicity. He added that the host Paramount Chief, PC Foday Gulama is busy mobilizing his colleague paramount Chiefs in Moyamba and Bonthe Districts for the launch.
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