By Amin Kef Sesay
In an emerging issue in which it was reportedly stated by the Awoko Newspaper that the Governor of the Bank of Sierra Leone, Professor Kaifala Kallon on the 9th June, 2021 allegedly made a deriding statement against the Judiciary of Sierra Leone, thereby annoying members of that institution, including the Chief Justice, His Lordship Justice Desmond Babatunde Edwards, Supreme Court Judges, the Governor has claimed that he was misinterpreted by the Press.
The said statement, which the Bank Governor made, was: “if you have a private sector that people who go to borrow don’t want to pay, when you put their collateral they go and bribe judges. The Bank of Sierra Leone never wins a case in this country, you know why, because the Bank don’t bribe.”
That statement, which according to the Awoko Newspaper, the Bank Governor made at the Radisson Blu International Conference Center, did not go down well with members of the Judiciary from the Chief Justice down to the Supreme Judges, who considered it as a dent on their image.
It was further learnt by this medium that it prompted the Chief Justice to summon the Bank Governor to a meeting although he, the Chief Justice, was out of the country attending the 5th High Level Meeting of Chief Justices and Heads of Constitutional Courts in Africa that was held in Cairo, Egypt.
The said meeting, convened on the 10th June 2021, which was chaired by the Acting Chief Justice, Nicholas Browne-Marke was attended by Supreme Court Judges. Nicholas Browne-Marke categorically told the Bank Governor that there are evidences to attest that four commercial banks ceased operations in the country not as a result of bad decisions made by the courts naming ProCredit, IBTI and Meridian Banks.
Other Judges present expressed disappointment over the Bank Governor for making what they termed as an “unfortunate statement”.
Justice Miatta Maria Samba said the Bank Governor’s statement was an incitement to the public against the Judiciary. “Your statement is similar to what the journalists do. You do the harm and apologise but let me say that I feel very hurt by your comments,” she is said to have told the Bank Governor.
The President of the Industrial Court, Justice Sengu Koroma said that the Bank Governor’s remark about the Bank not winning any case was incorrect.
Justices Deen Tarawallie and Alusine Sesay expressed similar sentiments and said they were utterly shocked at the Bank Governor’s remarks.
On his part, the Bank Governor, Professor Kaifala Kallon, insisted that he was misinterpreted as he was only making reference to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report emphasizing that he was making an historical reference not meaning that what he said is referring to present times.
He therefore tendered an unequivocal apology: “I am very sorry. My intention was not to paint the Judiciary bad. My comment about the Judiciary was a historical interpretation as presented by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. I profusely apologise and I am very sorry. It was a mistake but let me say that I was misinterpreted.”
In response the Acting Chief Justice, Nicholas Browne-Marke, stated that he appreciates the Bank Governor’s immediate apology for his ‘unfortunate statement,’ and encouraged the Central Bank to continue to repose confidence in the Judiciary to build a better Sierra Leone.
At the end of the meeting the Supreme Court Judges told the Bank Governor that he will be invited to another meeting at which the Chief Justice would be present, so that the position of the Judiciary will be made clear about any possible line of action or resolution.
Meanwhile one of the Justices remarked that bad loans seem to convey the impression of unsecured Loans which in any case makes such Loans non recoverable “not because of actions by Judges but by bad actions of bank officials, plain and simple.”
However, the Awoko Newspaper which broke out the news of the Bank Governor’s statement that did not go down well with the Judiciary is now stoutly claiming that its report was not a misrepresentation or misinterpretation of what he intended to convey. The news medium even said it has a recording in its possession to prove otherwise.
