A big salute to Sierra Leone’s Central Bank Governor Professor Kallon

Paul Kamara: Siera Leone Telegraph: 14 June 2021:

Professor Kelfala Kallon is to my knowledge the first Bank Governor to point accusing finger at the Siera Leone Judiciary in their collaboration with unscrupulous wheeler-dealers to fleece the economy as well as defraud banks.

Kelfala is both blunt and direct in his seeming frustration with corrupt Judges who let go defaulters of bad loans which in the end, the banks cannot recover or the collateral; simply because Judges take bribes and shelved such matters in their sacred private chamber sine die. The banks are thus totally helpless for who dare face the colossal and draconian Inquisitor.

Governor Kelfala’s (Photo) bold and factual statement should concern all and sundry for urgent and radical judicial reforms; if not, a total overhaul of that noble institution which today, is dubbed a ‘den of corruption and a citadel of injustice.’

The Judiciary has played a pivotal role for the tragedy that is Mama Salone; injustice, war, poverty, land wahala, corruption, illegalities and other ills that plague the body politic; because it is not apolitical, independent and flout the Rule of Law with disdain and scorn, if not downright impunity.

Gone those glorious days when lawyers of integrity and character are held in high esteem who can boldly rule against political tin-gods without fear or favour; whose judgement is based on the merit of the law, for justice and in the cause of the poor and oppressed. Let’s now take a cursory glance.

  1. Lawyer cum prime minister Albert Margai, dragged journalist Ibrahim Bash-Taqi for libel, but the law acquitted and discharged him. That case is now replaced by: The State v Paul Kamara in matters dealing with both defamatory and seditious libel in Salone and the entire Commonwealth.
  2. The same law locked up Siaka Stevens, ITA Wallace-Johnson and other APC stalwarts at the behest of Sir Milton; a pistol- wielding dictator during elections; and that was on the eve of Salone’s independence in 1961.
  3. Just as ITA the journalist, pan-Africanist, labour leader, freedom fighter who established the APC National Youth League, was also locked up by colonial Britain for speaking out against colonial misrule.
  4. Lawyer Albert Margai as prime minister passed the 1965 draconian press laws; introduced and entrenched tribalism, nepotism, corruption and vote rigging in Salone’s body politic.
  5. Lawyer Tejan Kabbah was among those who planned the first SLPP coup in 1967; in collaboration with lawyer Albert Margai, Peter Tucker and others.
  6. Lawyer Tejan Kabbah altered his name from Ahmed to Ahmad and Kabba to Kabbah who ‘broke don’ SLPMB-our economic powerhouse, was banned from holding public office where honesty and integrity is the watchword. But again, SLPMB broke the law and smuggled him to power.
  7. Lawyer Charles Margai however had vehemently objected before the entire SLPP that Kabbah was indeed, banned from public office. But they didn’t give a ‘bogedo.’
  8. The law became totally lawless under Shaki’s one-party rule; a toothless bulldog and worst perpetrators of injustice such as the killings of Dr Sorie Fornah, Ibrahim Bash-Taqi, Sam Bangura, Francis Minah and many others.
  9. SLPP Speaker of Parliament MS Kutubu and Judiciary destroyed Karefa-Smart’s UNPP by delaying a judgement over his removal of 17 MPs; which by law should’ve been delivered within three months; but waited after four years and just three weeks to the 2007 elections in order to moribund the party.
  10. Lawyer Abass Bundu installed himself as SLPP Speaker of Parliament illegitimately; and hounded paopanistically 10 legitimate APC MPs out of parliament; and the Courts turned a blind eye.
  11. Lawyers appointed as ACC Commissioners have so far not lived up to the public’s expectations since they too are corrupt, not independent, and politicised.
  12. Kamajor commander Mory Jusu was jailed without trial in Bonthe and Freetown on the orders of lawyer and 1991 constitution framer, Peter Tucker and was languishing in a quarantine cell at the throes of death before his plight was reported by For di People newspaper.

Indeed, what Bank Governor has said is just another notoriety of the Judiciary. Many foreigners with good intentions to help develop the economy have been fleeced by our locals, especially Lebanese, Fullas and Indians with the tacit connivance of the Judiciary.

In November 2000, For di People newspaper reported that a French national Ivan Meglioli was unlawfully detained at Pademba prisons for six months for a civil case due to collaboration of the Judiciary, state apparatus and a local businessman, Rex Cowan.

The case between Oceanic Trading Company and Pacaredo Company represented by Cowan had been judged in Guinea and did not concern Meglioli. But our Judiciary locked him up without trial because they wanted to fleece him; until the intervention of the Hon Consul of France, Mike Fletcher who signed a surety on his behalf and was subsequently released. He left Freetown May 8, 2000 when the British High Commission ordered the evacuation of all EU citizens.

A German Court found out that it is in Salone that one can obtain a death certificate when the person is still alive. The Courts had impounded a ship after a Lebanese said the goods were contaminated- a usual trick by our local businesses in connivance with Judges to not only impound the goods but impose hefty fines in forex as well; while the ship is seized until payment delivered.

To prove the lie, the German came and obtained a death certificate, that he was dead to prove the stinking corruption in our judiciary and govt officials. Most of the land wahala especially in the western and urban areas, emanate from the Judiciary who signed fake declarations for land poachers without resorting first to the appropriate ministry. How come Wurie Palavar Jalloh should own vast lands in the western area!

It was not too long ago that Judges were removed from being chairmen of govt parastatals and other offices even though it was duplicity, illegal and conflict of interest. A sitting Judge can hold the Office of President of the Appeals Court of Sierra Leone and the same time President of the Salone Football Association with no eyebrows raised by that noble and august institution.

Cases on trial still abound without hearing for the past decade or so, while innocent people are locked up without due process. The Judiciary is completely politicised, corrupt and lawless.

In conclusion, let me again hail Bank Governor for exposing the Judiciary and I only hope a probe could be conducted on how long our financial institutions have been fleeced and frustrated by the collusion of the Judiciary.

I also pray that the Paopanistas can consider upholding the surrender obligation that obliges all mining, petroleum, and other entities to pass through the Bank of Salone.

These companies take loans from the banks to pay workers, smuggle their forex while by-passing the Central Bank. In fact, all state institutions including MDAs must do business through Salone Commercial Bank or Rokel Bank and should be protected.

A probe should be done on all bad debts owed by politicians and others over the years that have decapitated some of our financial institutions. It is also time to probe the Judiciary because the stench is too nasty!

Well, the Judiciary sentenced Jesus Christ for the Truth. And from experience, I don’t see any political lawyer yet, that would bring about the reforms that Sierra Leone needs at this crucial time – in the Judiciary or the country in general.

6 Comments

  1. “SLPP Speaker of Parliament MS Kutubu and Judiciary destroyed Karefa-Smart’s UNPP by delaying a judgement over his removal of 17 MPs; which by law should’ve been delivered within three months; but waited after four years and just three weeks to the 2007 elections in order to moribund the party.” Paul Kamara

    Sir, do you mean Justice Cowan? Justice Kutubu was the speaker between 1998 and 2000. Justice Cowan was the speaker between 2000 and 2007.
    Here is the list of Speakers from the Sierra Leone parliament a-past and present speakers.
    Sir Henry Josiah Lightfoot Boston-1957 to 1962
    Sir Banja Tejan-Sie- 1962 to 1967
    Sir Emile Luke – 1968 to 1973
    Justice Percy Davies -1973 to 1977
    Justice Singer Betts -1977 to 1986
    William Niaka Stephen Conteh -1986 to May 1992 (with No legal background)
    In abeyance, military junta May 1992 1996
    Justice Sheku Mohamed Fadril Kutubu -1996 to May 1997
    In abeyance, military junta-May 1997 to February 1998
    Justice Sheku Mohamed Fadril Kutubu- February 1998 to 2000
    Justice Edmund Cowan 2000 to 2007
    Justice Abel Nathaniel Bankole Stronge- 25 September 2007 to 19 November 2013
    Sheku Badara Bashiru Dumbuya -19 November 2013 to 2018 (no legal background)
    Abass Chernor Bundu -25 April 2018 Incumbent

  2. Yes, as usual we try to obscure the truth. Our judiciary is the biggest problem facing our country. Do we really need evidence of corruption in our judiciary? If anyone is serious about the development of the country they have to tackle and overall the whole legal process. Our judiciary is politicised, they are not independent. In the lower courts, miscarriages of justice is the order of the day. The list is endless.

    Rather than shooting the messenger, we should be asking the biggest question: How corrupt is our judiciary? Is our government credible enough to take on one of the most powerful institutions of government?

  3. Sierra Leone the orphan that everybody takes advantage of; he gets bullied, beaten up and starved with unmitigated impunity. Nobody has ever stood for us ordinary people. The article does capture this fact. But we the people should take some blame for our miserable condition, we don’t look at figures in society, like Charles Margai or KKY, who have what it takes to bring discipline and progress to our nation.

    The Bank Governor has made a timid and half-hearted attempt to address perhaps the ultimate failure in our society – the Judiciary. The legislature is corrupt and so is the executive. The judiciary ought to have been the last hope for us if only it were exemplarily clean. The world now knows that if you have deep pockets justice is yours. No commission of inquiry in Sierra Leone has ever seen its findings and recommendations followed to the letter.

    I urge all Sierra Leoneans not to give up hope ; if we do all is lost. One day our own Paul Kagame, or our own Nana Akofua Danqua Ado, or our own John Magufuli, will emerge from no where to straighten everything out. Kelfala Kallon has just exposed himself as a man “way dae wehr trorsis for kole”.

  4. The Bank Governor is an arrant coward; he hasn’t the courage of his convictions, shamelessly retracting his claims when challenged to justify them. Small wonder his tenure as head of our central bank has so far yielded nothing noteworthy. Honestly, how can anything good come from a man who says one thing only to unsay it a moment later?

    Professor Kallon has made a complete fool of himself and should if he has any sense of honour left resign from his current position. The management of our money – our country’s life blood – should be entrusted to a person of absolute integrity. If Professor Kallon cannot be trusted to man up and defend what he truly thinks, believes and says, how can he be trusted to come up with monetary policies, rules and regulations geared towards creating and enhancing the common good? His inconsistencies demonstrate that he is only interested in saving his own skin, that is, his job. And if that means saying he did’nt say what he is said to have said, well, so be it. Utterly pathetic.

  5. Hahahaha..” A big salute my foot ” Took those candid words of truth right out of my mouth Mr Adewale John; There is nothing for us to be celebrating here; If he was really sincere why hasn’t he publicly provided the ACC with the evidences he has against those Judges; This Governor is as a spineless as a Jellyfish and he has been known by those nearest to him to resemble a crooked old tortoise that walks and crawls in a zigzagging manner. We are all fully aware that the Judiciary is corrupt but why is the Governor only speaking out now? Why has he not spoken out loudly against other corrupt officials in the SLPP government to prove to us that he has the bests interests of our little country at heart.

    Now here’s the deal: Those who run the affairs of Sierra Leone today are like garbage collectors that were raised by other garbage collectors in the SLPP now long gone; They have not been able to evolve into anything of substance and value so they keep on collecting refuse, rubbish,trash and debris as a way of sustenance,as a reliable means of satisfy their thieving corrupt souls that craves the overpowering stench of that which has already decayed and become totally rotten to its core.(lol) Aha! Aha! A moment of reckoning has come; The time for empty rhetoric is over; Now that bare bottoms are showing,and all the lipstick that conceal their ugly faces has now started to wash off – What is the Puppet Ben Kaifala and his Grasshopper Squad now going to do? Only Time will reveal such things.(lol)

  6. A big salute my foot! The man has no balls. One minute he accused the judiciary of corruption and next minute when faced with the Judges, he capitulated – denying he ever said that the Judges take bribe. These are the public officials that are destroying the country. Shame on you professor Kallon.

    As a professor and Bank governor he must have the evidence to back up his claims and should have the courage to stand by his evidence for the good of Sierra Leone but sadly he let both himself and the people of Salone down. When will our nation have people that can stand up bravely against the corrupt system?

    I read the story in Awoko and I believe every word Awoko said. They have the tape recording of the Bank governor accusing the judiciary of bribery and corruption, and now he is in denial for coco-ebeh. The man is shameless.

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