Sierra Leone News: Commission of Inquiry: Former Minister Accused of Physical Abuse of Children
By Hasbin Shaw
Former Minister of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs, Dr. Sylvia O. Blyden has on Wednesday September 4, 2019, appeared before Justice Bankole Thompson’s Commission on allegation of physical abuse of children during her tenure.
The former minister was initially represented by Lawyer Melron Nicol-Wilson Esq., but she decided to represent herself.
Lawyer Nicol-Wilson told the Commission that his client Dr. Blyden indicated to him that she would like to represent herself henceforth including undertaking all cross-examinations of all witnesses. So I am no longer representing her,” he submitted.
According to the Commission, the former minister is being investigated for abuse of office. The matter relates to an incident which occurred on December 28, 2016, between the minister and children representing the Children’s Forum Network (CFN) at the Ministry of Social welfare. It is claimed the children were allegedly beaten at the Ministry in 2016, under the directive of the former minister.
During cross-examination in chief by the State Counsel R. B Kowa, a witness, Ibrahim Khalil Sesay, a police officer working at the Family Support Unit (FSU), said that they received information regarding the incident on December 28, 2016,
Sesay said that after receiving information together with the then Deputy Head of the FSU, Detective Assistant Superintendent of Police Fatmata Jebbeh Daboh, and few other police officers, they went to the New England Ville Police Station to confirm the said incident.
He said that the ASP confirmed the alleged physical assault on children, and they referred the children to report the matter to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
Ibrahim Sesay said that during the course of the investigation, statements were obtained from the children and witnesses, and the police wrote a progress report to the Attorney Generals’ office and directed it to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP). He added that the progress report contains summary of all statements and actions taken in connection to the said incident.
He said that afterwards, a request was made for the former minister to give her own side of the story, but she didn’t respond.
He said that statements were obtained from seventeen witnesses including the former deputy Minister of Social Welfare Rugiatu Neneh Turay and a former Member of Parliament, Sirajin Rollings Kamara in connection to the incident.
He said that four medical reports from the children who were allegedly victimized formed part of the evidences against the former minister, including a copy of a document from the SLRA which clarifies that the vehicle which the alleged thugs used belonged to the former minister.
During cross-examination, Sesay said that he has been in the police force for a decade, and that he is aware that bodyguards or officers are always attached to a cabinet minister to facilitate protection.
The former minister submitted that the reason behind her question was to ensure Sesay as a police realizes that, police officers assigned to her at the time would have been eyewitnesses to the incident in questioned.
Sesay said, that was why they called upon the minister to give her own side of the story.
The witness said that he took the statements of the first witness on January 6, and the last on January 27, 2017, adding that not all statements of witnesses presented to the Commission was authored by him.
He said that he was not the author of the letter that was sent to the Attorney General’s office for the attention of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP). He said that after the delivery of the letter for the attention of the DPP, they were told to hold on to the said matter. The matter was adjourned to today.
