Sierra Leone News: Four Paraded Suspects Granted Bail
By George M.O Williams
The four paraded suspects including two teachers and a principal have been granted bail by the Anti-Corruption Commission on Wednesday September 11, 2019, the assistant Public Relations Officer of Success Serry Kamara said on Thursday.
The suspects who were handcuffed with a guilty inscription hanged around their necks were publicly paraded by the ACC and police around the Freetown Cotton Tree on Monday. This action by the ACC sparked public outcry which prompted President Bio to tender an apology on behalf of ACC for its action.
“Their release conformed with section 67(12) of ACC Act 2008 which made provision for bail and other procedures after arrest,” Kamara said.
He emphasized that “notwithstanding the suspects being released on bail, they are still under the supervision of the ACC as investigation continues. In the next couple of weeks, the commission will decide if to charge the suspects to court.”
The four suspects including two teachers, a principal and an alleged ‘proxy candidate’ who was apparently paid to take the exam on behalf of a female candidate, were Involved in an examination malpractice at the ongoing West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for private candidates conducted on Saturday September 7, 2019, at Fatibu Technical Secondary School, at Peacock Farm, Wellington in Freetown.
The four accused persons were arrested on a raid conducted by the Commission’s ‘Scorpion team’ after an intelligence that indicated that examination malpractice was being conducted in a private room of the said school. The ACC said that during the raid, examination papers which contain attempted answers with money and other illegal examination materials were found at the scene
