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One of the lawyers representing the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) Presidential candidate, Dr. Samura Kamara objected to the court’s decision to live-stream the Chancery Building matter at a previous sitting. (https://ayvnews.com/)
Lawyer Africanus Sesay argued that live-streaming could prejudice the case and that it is unjust for the court to take this direction after the prosecution has ended their case.
“When the hearing is now being recorded and live-streamed, my lord it is only this video side of it that the public will get,” lawyer Sesay argued. The defence lawyer added that live-streaming could also affect witnesses who will be testifying in the matter.
“There are certain witnesses that are frightful of television and these recordings are permanent, my lord,” Sesay continued his argument. He added that the trial is “no ordinary one”.
He stated that facts of prosecution witnesses are not in the public and that the facts that could be privy to the public are those of defence witnesses. He furthered that the views of the people are important more than ever as their client is now the Presidential Candidate of the main opposition APC party.
“The court ought to be seen as being impartial in the application of the law,” Sesay submitted in court.
“Video vising is not new but why now?” Sesay enquired in court.
The presiding judge in the matter, Justice Adrian Fisher did not agree with Lawyer Sesay hinging it on the basis that public perception is not relevant in the case.
“Is the public determining this case?” Justice Fisher asked the defence lawyer.
Justice Fisher also did not accede to the accusation by probing the lawyer to further explain how does live-streaming create an impartiality and how does that prejudice the case or how does it rebut their presumption of innocence.
The Judge also referenced that people have been making recordings of the case before the sitting, ridiculing him and abusing his mother altogether because him executing his duty.
Justice Fisher said that he did not complain about it.
He said the reason the court decided to live stream the trial was because some attendees at the sitting have been misleading the public.
The APC Presidential Candidate is in court with others to answer to crimes related to corruption in the Sierra Leone Chancery Building in New York. The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) accused Kamara of misleading the principal and misappropriation of public funds when he was Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in then Ernest Bai Koroma Administration.
Kamara has long denied the allegation citing that they are political motivated geared towards the smearing of his political image and ambition.
