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Two Prominent Sierra Leonean Lawyers, Lawyers Claude Bhamee Davies and Alfred Kamanda, have demanded that the police disclose the identity of the complainant in the case involving the recent arrest of Edwina Hawa Jamiru, who has been charged with alleged cyber-related offences.
The call comes after a statement by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Brima Kamara, in which he reportedly confirmed Jamiru’s arrest but refused to reveal the identity of the person who reported the allegations.
During an interview with Liberty Online TV, ACP Kamara explained that the police would not disclose the complainant’s identity, citing concerns that doing so could have a prejudicial effect on the case. Kamara argued that the disclosure would not add value to the investigation and could potentially harm the fairness of the proceedings.
However, the decision has faced strong opposition from well-known legal practitioners, including Lawyers Claude Bhamee Davies and Alfred Kamanda. Both lawyers have criticized the police’s stance, calling it evasive and inconsistent with the rights of the accused.
Lawyer Davies expressed dissatisfaction with the police’s explanation, arguing that revealing the complainant’s identity is unrelated to the strength of the evidence in the case. “The disclosure of a complainant has nothing to do with evidence,” Davies said, describing the police’s refusal as an unjustified obstruction to transparency.
Lawyer Kamanda further emphasized that the rights of the accused must be upheld, particularly the right to be fully informed of the charges against them. “The first right of any accused or suspect is to be made aware of the charge for which they were arrested, including who the complainant is, what they allegedly did, where and when the alleged incident occurred,” Kamanda stated. He added that this transparency allows the accused to understand the accusations and defend themselves appropriately.
The dispute over the complainant’s identity raises important questions about the balance between protecting the integrity of an investigation and ensuring fairness in the criminal justice system.
