Reports reaching Citizens Forum for Democratic Accountability (C4D) has alleged that authorities in Sierra Leone vis-à-vis the Justice Sector are toying with the life of Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray, a Sierra Leone politician, psychologist, former presidential Flag bearer and the current Chairman and Leader of the opposition Alliance Democratic Party (ADP), who is severely sick and hospitalized at the Connaught Government Hospital in health taken hostage and at risk of death. Notwithstanding the advice by medical experts that his health condition is precarious and needs urgent medical surgery which cannot be successfully carried out in country, otherwise, he is at grave risk of death or disability and other irreversible damage to his health.

According to our findings, a neurologist at ECO-MED had once recommended to prison authorities that Mohamed Kamarainba have need for a surgical operation but denied and to date his situation has deteriorated in geometric retrogression as he continues to languish in prison and suffering from the chronic inflammatory of the prostate gland called chronic prostatitis as reported by medical experts and confirmed, then, by the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of the Government of Sierra Leone , Rev. Canon Dr. Thomas Samba. Other medical examinations further disclosed that Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray is suffering from protracted sicknesses in tandem with prostate cancer which could not be treated successfully, except abroad, where the required antibiotics and (TURP Surgery Transurethral Resection of the prostrate are available.

A specialist physician in the country also diagnosed Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray with prostate Cancer and hypertension which can cause heart and kidney damage.

Quite recently, news about his deplorable health condition went abuzz in the social media following his rejection at the 34 Military Hospital and referral the Connaught Hospital, where he is currently hospitalized under security guards., despite that fact that medical experts have advised that he needs urgent surgery abroad. Since, he has been hospitalized at the Connaught hospital, he has been deprived from having visitors.

Upon hearing that Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray would be hospitalized at the Connaught Hospital, we rushed to get a glance of him and if possible have a talk with him but all efforts to access him proved futile due to the presence security personnel who accompanied him in an ambulance. They barricaded the entrance of the hospital gate until he was taken down from the ambulance to one of the rooms for treatment.

Given the above, it is heart rendering that Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray is still in prison held at the Connaught hospital in health hostage and at risk of death taking credence to the medical advice given for him to be flown abroad for proper medical care since our hospitals cannot perform the required surgery.

It is glaring that Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray have been overlooked for almost three years against his persistent request for timely specialized medical care abroad by state authorities to treat his diagnosed chronic inflammatory of the prostate gland called chronic prostatitis and prostate cancer and other diseases. For overlooking his request, there is the likelihood that he may die in prison because of his life-threatening health to which one would categorically say his denial to seek proper medical care is a violation of his right to health and a deliberate attempt to humiliate, punish and torture the current ADP chairman and leader in prison.

It goes without saying that denying the required and recommended medical care to Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray as advised by qualified medical doctors who have examined or diagnosed him of the said sicknesses is cruel and utterly indefensible since prisoners’ access to health care is a right enshrined in both international and municipal law and the best practice that depriving prisoners of proper medical care constitutes torture and punishment which have the proclivity to cause permanent damage to their health.

Fast forward, it could be recalled that Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray is presently facing trial for alleged sexual offences ranging from Sexual conspiracy contrary to Section 43 (b) of the Sexual Offences Act, 2012, Sexual penetration Contrary to Section 19 of the Sexual Offences Act 2012 and Meeting a Child for Sexual Purpose Contrary to Section 23 (1) (a) of the Sexual Offences Act 2012, following his arrest and detention by police regarding complaint of alleged sexual penetration on 17th July 2020.

After over one year in remand, he was granted bail on 7th September 2021 but despite the bail, the ADP leader is still in prison as he did not secure release on the grounds that he did not fulfil his bail condition judiciary sources claimed but such claim has been repulsed by a close relative who informed this medium that the claim is a mere propaganda as the bail requirements have been fulfilled, except for the request of his American passport which had been reported burnt to the police years before the unforeseen circumstances occurred. According to Mohamed Kamarainba’s close relative, almost 95% of the bail condition had been fulfilled except for the controversial condition concerning an American Passport, which he had sworn on two affidavits that the said passport had got burnt when his house caught fire in Makeni of which the Police reports had already proved the affirmative.

In light of the above, the health condition of Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray, is precarious and if justice does not tamper with mercy for his bail and release, he may die in jail for which the judiciary would be left with indelible scars that will smear and suffocate the image of the authorities concern and this impugn will the credibility of the judiciary as an independent institution, expected to give judges the complete freedom or independence to administer justice impartially without fear or favour.

The judiciary is therefore expected to expedite cases in court as justice delayed is justice denied and Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray is unavoidably a victim who has suffered from the delay of justice in respect of his case dragging for almost three years. As by the authority of Section 23 (4) of the Sierra Leone Constitution 1991 Act No 6 1991 under the Principle of the Presumption of Innocence, Mohamed Kamarainba is innocent until proven guilty before a competent Court of the land and as far as the law dictates he is not a criminal.

On this note, the allegations of a sexual offence against Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray are serious and we heavily frowned at such offences , thus, we demand that they are proven beyond all reasonable doubt. Being that he has spent nearly three years in prison and has been granted bail over one year ago but still in prison, many Sierra Leoneans have disfigured their faces and calling for his release on bail to enable him look after his health, since he had fulfilled almost 95% of the bail condition except for the controversial condition of the provision of his American passport for which he had sworn two affidavits. In all of these, the question many people asked is why Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray is still languishing in prison in disguise of not providing his American Passport whilst under a critical health condition.

For the independence and integrity of the judiciary, C4D entreat the authorities concern to judiciously fulfil their duties in line with the Constitution and secure the right to life and right to health of Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray and other inmates, who can no longer continue their treatment in prison. It is obvious that the health of Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray is life-threatening and he might die in jail if his request for proper medical care is not given him as advised by various medical experts and this cannot be gained if his bail is not looked and release, to avert the views held by many that he has been treated with a pinch of salt.