By Aminata Abu Bakarr Kamara
Chief Justice, His Lordship Honourable Justice Komba Kamanda, pledged decisive action to speed up corruption-related cases during a pivotal meeting with the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Advisory Board on Tuesday, April 8, 2025. The assurance, delivered at his chambers on Siaka Stevens Street, aims to bolster justice delivery and restore public faith in the judiciary.
Addressing the ACC delegation, Chief Justice Kamanda confronted head-on the issue of delays plaguing some corruption cases. He pinned part of the bottleneck on a shortage of judges, stretched thin across the High Court’s eight nationwide divisions, closing cases, especially criminal ones, is a top priority, he declared. I’ll personally review all pending matters to pinpoint obstacles and ensure swift resolutions in the name of justice.
ACC Advisory Board Chairman Prince Goba, leading the courtesy visit, hailed the Chief Justice’s appointment and likened the Board to a salad bowl a vibrant mix of professionals offering diverse expertise. He outlined the Board’s monthly reviews of unresolved cases, presenting a report to Kamanda and seeking judicial muscle to clear the backlog.
Deputy ACC Commissioner Augustine Foday Ngobie, also in attendance, called the meeting a vital bridge between two pillars of Sierra Leone’s anti-corruption fight. The Advisory Board guides our commissioner and keeps us accountable, he said, underscoring its oversight role.
Board members voiced alarm over the sluggish pace of certain cases, pressing for urgent judicial focus, they also floated a proposal appointing some members as Justices of the Peace or Commissioners for Oaths to amplify their impact while clarifying they steer clear of the ACC’s day-to-day operations.
Kamanda welcomed the Board’s candid input, labelling their engagement “frank and constructive. He endorsed their appointment request as “reasonable and vowed to weigh it carefully, while reaffirming the judiciary’s dedication to timely justice.
The session wrapped with a renewed pact between the judiciary and ACC a united front to advance accountability and fairness nationwide. For Sierra Leoneans weary of corruption’s shadow, the Chief Justice’s promise signals a judiciary ready to act, not just deliberate.