Posted by ALIMA on November 02, 2007 at 16:50:07:
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SIERRA LEONE PRESIDENT KOROMA URGED TO ORDER AN INQUEST INTO TEENAGER'S DEATH
By Kef Dukulay
Nov 2, 2007, 22:40 Email this article
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Alima's Soul is crying out for Justice: Give her Justice!
As the name of Assistant Inspector General of Police Francis Munu surfaces in the allegations of a cover up of the "murder" of 18 year old Alima Kamara, many callers and concerned Sierra Leoneans from not only inside the country but all over the world have been calling this newspaper non-stop ever since we published the case laid out by Alima’s parents which indicates that the departure from this world of their daughter was not a "natural event" but a "foul play".
This newspaper has learnt of an alleged family link between AIG Munu and the mother of Victoria Jarrett, the lady who took late Alima to Kenema, abandoned her there in a mystery coma and refused to reveal her location to her parents despite being pressured to do so. We sent a team to the home of the mother of Victoria Jarrett who confirmed to us that she knew AIG Munu but refused to describe the extent of their relationship. When we contacted AIG Munu, he stated that he was too busy to talk to journalists but promised to speak over UN radio this morning.
"I cannot manufacture information to give you about Alima’s death. What you have heard is the information available but you can tune to UN Radio tomorrow (today Friday) and listen to me as I handle this matter," Munu stated.
We are now informed that the Director of CID has released all three suspects, Victoria Jarrett, Amoude Basma and one KT Sandy from police custody despite the obvious air of foul play.
Meanwhile, all the callers are deeply incensed that a young Sierra Leonean with tax-paying, law-abiding parents, could meet her death in such suspicious manner only for what now seems to be a ‘cover-up’ to emerge alongside a campaign to portray the late girl as a promiscuous teenager whose naked lifeless body deserved to be publicly plastered shamelessly for the perusal of curious eyes around the globe.
"Your newspaper should not let this matter up. President Koroma should set up an Inquest immediately as the Police seem to have compromised their integrity in the way they handled this matter," Dr. Philipson Lahai wrote in an email he sent from Washington DC, USA.
Many of the other callers are upset over the publication of late Alima's half naked corpse over the Internet where some of their children got exposed to the photo with no warning.
"What is going on down there? This is reprehensible and distasteful. Where is the Media Commission? Where is the ethics of journalism?" one Mr. Beckley kept on asking us from UK adding, "Why are you waiting to set up an Inquest?"
The points raised by Julius Kamara, the father of the late teenager have been described by a senior Njala University lecturer who contacted this medium, as "very emotional but highly convincing" and he concludes that indeed, there were "many questions begging to be answered".
Fortunately, for those demanding an Inquest into the death, Sierra Leone Laws make provision for exactly such a demand to be met by His Excellency the President Ernest Bai Koroma.
Magistrate Adrian Fisher had informed back in August 2005 that the Coroner’s Ordinance in Cap 9 of the Laws of Sierra Leone of 1960 made provision for the appointment of a coroner who will conduct an Inquest or an Enquiry into deaths deemed suspicious.
One of Sierra Leone’s leading legal minds, Lawyer Centus Macauley also once opined that the importance of a coroner should not be understated as he revealed that many civilized countries have permanent coroners who look into suspicious deaths. Sierra Leone, unfortunately does not have such and any Inquest, according to our laws has to be set up by the District Officer or the President himself in Freetown.
Any relatives concerned about the circumstances of their loved one’s death, who suspects foul play, medical error, accident or neglect should contact the Coroner and in the absence of a permanent Coroner, the President, Ernest Bai Koroma should order the setting up of such an Inquest.
Awareness Times NOW STRONGLY supports the calls for an Inquest. Our editorial team has decided that we will not rest until all the questions get answered. We intend to pursue this matter until the world realises that there are Sierra Leoneans who will not sit by and allow such to happen in their midst unchallenged.
Meanwhile, a locally trained female Sierra Leonean medical doctor who has very high respect for Pathologist Owizz Koroma stated that she did not doubt the findings of Owizz Koroma which say Alima died from diabetic keto-acidosis but what she pointed out was that the good doctor failed to ascertain exactly what led to such an insulin-resistant diabetic keto-acidosis in a previously hale and hearty 18 year old teenager with no prior history of diabetes.
She also suggested that maybe Dr. Owizz was never given a fuller background to the death by the Police which could explain why he made the questionable conclusions he arrived at.
Awareness Times can now authoritatively reveal that Alima never suffered from any diabetes nor does she come from a family with a history of diabetes. We have interviewed the family's medical doctor who has confirmed to us what the dad asserted.
"There is no relative of ours distant or near, who has ever suffered from diabetes in their life. We don't have diabetes in my family or in my wife's family. Our late daughter never complained of diabetes," Julius Kamara stated.
Concerned Citizens can contact Alima's Parents on:
+232-76-630291