PRESS RELEASE
Freetown, Sierra Leone, 20 July 2006
Special Court Returns Bonthe Island Facility to the Sierra Leone Government
The Special Court today returned its detention facility on Bonthe Island to the Sierra Leone Prison Service.
The building, which formerly housed a minor offences prison for the Sierra Leone Prison Service, had been provided to the Special Court by the Government of Sierra Leone to house detainees and for judicial proceedings while the New England complex was under construction.
Between March and August 2003, Special Court Judges presided over nine initial appearances of accused persons in Bonthe.
In a brief ceremony on Thursday, Special Court Registrar Lovemore Munlo, SC handed over the keys to Moses Showers, Deputy Director of Prisons for the Republic of Sierra Leone Prison Service.
Mr Munlo thanked the Prison Service for its cooperation with the Court. “You know, certain days were rather tough and challenging,” he said. “But you came forward. We did not find you wanting. You gave us whatever assistance we wanted.”
Mr Showers noted that the Special Court had renovated the facility, “for your own purposes initially, but I just say we are the greater beneficiary of that exercise”. He noted that the Prison Service has officers serving on secondment at the Special Court.
“We want to thank you, and we want to assure you of our continued cooperation at all times for the director and all the members of staff of the prison service,” Mr Showers said. “I want to assure you that that good will, and that cooperation will continue”.
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