The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mohamed Lamin Tarawalley in collaboration with the Police Department and Under Sheriff has yesterday 21st September 2022 taken possession of a pareel of land together with buildings and hereditament situated off Spur Road, Blue Bell Drive Freetown.

This action is in compliance with the findings contained in the report of Honourable Justice Bankole Thompson Commission of Inquiry 2018, and as ordered by the Government White Paper which as published on 24th September 2020 and endorsed by a Court Order on 16th December 2020.

The government-sized property was first registered as a dead of conveyance No. 8/2012 on page 74 in volume 15 on March 14th, 2012, and later as No1253/2014 at page 103 in volume 729 on May 30, 2014, in the books of Registered Deeds of Conveyances kept at the Office of the Registrar and administrator General Roxy Building in Freetown.

 

According to the AG during the COI, the property was a subject of interest, however no one came forward to claim it, thus it became “Bona Vacantia,” ownerless property, hence the State took ownership of it.

Bona Vacantia is a situation in which property is left without any clear owner. The bona vacantia property may have been abandoned, mislaid or forgotten by the owners. It can also refer to property left by someone who has died intestate without a legal will and has no known heir.