As Remand Inmate tested Positive… C J Puts New Measures in Place to Contain Spread of COVID-19

By Foday Moriba Conteh

The Honourable Chief Justice of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Justice Desmond Babatunde Edwards, has issued a Public Notice on the 27^th April 2020 informing  that one remand centre inmate has proved positive of Covid-19 and that inmate has been labelled as Case 90.

According to the Notice the inmate was received from the East End Police Station and attended a court sitting on the 17th of April 2020 at Court No. 6 before a Magistrate and was received at the remand centre, Pademba Road Correctional Centre on the same day.

It furthered that the remand inmate reported sick on the 20th April 2020 and was subsequently admitted at the Male Correctional Centre Hospital.

“During his admission he confessed that he escaped from a quarantine centre at Cow Yard, Guard Street, Freetown and he was referred to 34 Hospital and later to Connaught hospital on Friday, 24th April 2020. On Sunday, 26th April he was confirmed positive and is now Case 90,” the Notice revealed.

It also pointed out that in view of the above, he, the Chief Justice in consultation with the Inspector-General of Police and the Director-General of the Sierra Leone Correctional Centre decided on the following measures:

1. All inmates at the Freetown male re-integration centre hereinafter called “the isolation and observation unit” at Special Court be transferred to the Male Correctional Centre at Pademba Road;
2. All inmates at the remand section at Pademba Road and the Correctional Hospital are now with immediate effect relocated to “the isolation and observation unit” at Special Court as a quarantine measure; inmates from the Correctional Hospital will be transferred / treated separately from the other inmates;
3. The Church Building at Pademba Road will be temporarily used as a Medical Referral Centre for inmates at the male correctional centre.

It was again pointed out that the current remand centre at Pademba Road is being fumigated and it is currently out of use.

The Notice went on to state that as a result of the above, it is hereby announced that with immediate effect, there is cessation of all court activities in the Magistrate Courts nationwide for one month effective Tuesday, 28^th April 2020 to prevent movement of possibly infected persons from police stations to court and court to prisons.

In addition, all other civil or criminal cases in Magistrate courts are likewise postponed for a month effective 28^th April 2020 stating how the Police are ready to give Police bail as far as possible for new offenders and to hold serious offenders without bail where necessary.

All EOC protocols are now being put in place to trace primary and secondary contacts.

Also, it stated that further to the above, the Judiciary is announcing the following new measures to contain the spread of Covid-19:

1. The Civil High Court which was scheduled to commence work from the 11^th May 2020 has been postponed to Monday 10th June 2020.
2. The January criminal session comes to an end with immediate effect.
3. The special criminal sessions which were scheduled to start on the 8^th May 2020 are now postponed to Thursday 28th of May 2020.
4. The May criminal sessions commencing 18^th May 2020 is also postponed to Monday 10 of June 2020.