Sierra Leone Court of Appeal Judge, Justice Jamesina E.L. King has in a Judgement delivered on the 3rd July, 2024 declared the removal of Millicent Kargbo and others as Directors and subscribers of the Sierra Leone Association of Women In Journalism (SLAWIJ), and the appointments of (4th 8th defendants) Mariama Coker, Princess Gibson, Rev. Dr. Lucy Ann Ganda, Marian Samu, and Zainab Kanu null, void and of no effect.

Justice King ordered mandatory injunction compelling the 4th to 8th Defendants to vacate offices as Directors of SLAWIJ, which they purported to hold by virtue of a purported written resolution dated 20th July 2023.

On a balance of probabilities, the Judge said she is satisfied that the Plaintiffs Millicent Kargbo and two others have made a case for the granting of the orders and reliefs sought for in the originating summons, and that the answers to questions 1, to 6 in the plaintiffs originating summons as set out above are in the negative.

The Judge, consequently granted the following reliefs: That a declaration, that the 2nd Defendant Yeama Thomson and the 3rd defendant Mariama Khai Fornah lacked and still lack the authority to pass the purported written resolution dated 20th July 2023 regarding the removal and appointment of Directors.

And also the purported special resolution passed at a meeting held on the 20th July 2023 regarding the change of the Company name SLAWIJ, and the undated resolution regarding the change of address of registered office of the aforesaide Company without giving requisite notice to and the involvement of members of the 1st Defendant Company SLAWIJ inclusive of the plaintiffs declared null, void and of no effect.

The Judge has ordered the cancelling, expunging and, or nullifying the aforesaid Resolutions from the records of the 1st Defendant SLAWIJ Company kept at its office and, or the Corporate Affairs Commission; And ordered maintaining and, or restoring the Plaintiffs as Directors and subscribers of SLAWIJ Company.

She also ordered cancelling and, or expunging all decisions including the decision to hange or attempting to change signatories to the account of SLAWIJ made by the defendants subsequently to the passing of the aforesaid resolutions.

An interlocutory injunction restraining the 2nd Defendant Yeama Thomson and six others, whether by themselves, their agents, servants, privates or however called from occupying offices, holding themselves out and, or performing and functioning as Directors of SLAWIJ.

The action before the Court was for the interpretation of sections 30, 200, 212 and 222 of the Companies Act 2009, as amended, and the interpretation of Regulations 6,12 and 24 of the Companies Regulations 2015; And in the matter of Articles of the Interpretation of Articles 2,16,17 and 18 among others of Articles of Association of the Sierra Leone Association of Women In Journalism (SLAWIJ).

Lawyer Ibrahim I. Mansaray represented the plaintiffs Millicent Kargbo, Aminata Finda Massaquoi and Haja Mariama Sesay.