Residual Special Court Frees Allieu Kondewa, Former CDF High Priest & Initiator

By Amin Kef (Ranger)

The Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone on the 29^th May,2023 stated that Allieu Kondewa  has completed his sentence and is now free from the Jurisdiction of the Court. It continued that the former Civil Defence Forces (CDF) High Priest and Initiator, completed his 20-year sentence on Sunday, 28^th May, 2023 and as of Monday, 29^th May,2023 was officially free from the custody of the Residual Special Court.

According to the Residual Court, he was the second person convicted by the Special Court to complete his sentence disclosing that the former CDF Director of War, Moinina Fofana, completed his 15-year sentence and was discharged in May 2018.

It was also revealed that Kondewa was convicted by the Special Court for murder, cruel treatment and pillage (war crimes), and murder and inhumane acts (crimes against humanity) and on the 31st October, 2009 he was transferred to Mpanga Prison in Rwanda to serve his sentence.

Added was that on the 18th June, 2018, after serving two-thirds of his sentence and completing training on correct behaviour as a citizen of Sierra Leone, the President of the Residual Special Court issued an order granting Kondewa conditional early release.

Furthermore, on the 7th July, 2018 he was transferred from Mpanga Prison to Sierra Leone to serve the remainder of his sentence in Bo and was subject to strict conditions and monitoring, from which he is now freed.

The Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone is responsible for the ongoing legal obligations of the Special Court for Sierra Leone, which concluded its mandate in December 2013. These include supervision of prison sentences, witness protection and support, maintenance and preservation of the archives, and assistance to national prosecution authorities.

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