The Deputy Information Minister Yusuf Keketoma Sandi Esq has reminded Lawyers on the advice of Legal Practitioners to always resist the temptation of mixing the law and Politics in cases before the court.

The deputy Minister justified that the Procedure laid down in Preliminary Investigation provides an opportunity for every Accused to be heard in answer to the charges and to call any witnesses adding that the evidence of the Accused together with the depositions of his witnesses must be taken IN LIKE MANNER as in the case of the witnesses of the Prosecution.

“Therefore, at this stage, for anyone to describe the charges as “trumped-up charges under a political vendetta” is clearly PREMATURE. Worse still, it is a cavalier attempt not only to POLITICISE the case but also to create SENSATIONALISM in the media. We must all be guided by the legal maxim: Nemo est supra leges (No one is above the laws),” he stated.

The Minister’s response came following, Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara, a lawyer for former Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma, strongly refuted the charges against his client and questioned the legality of the investigation process.

The former President was arraigned on Wednesday on a-four-count indictment including treason and two counts of harbouring fugitives. The charges stem from alleged involvement in an attempt to overthrow Sierra Leone’s government on November 26, 2023.

Kamara revealed that despite 40 hours of interrogation, no concrete evidence was presented to Koroma linking him to the alleged offenses. He emphasized the lack of specific accusations beyond basic inquiries about individuals and objects, calling the entire process “ridiculous.”