The public is hereby informed that one remand centre inmate has proved positive for covid-19 and the inmate is now labeled as case 90.
The inmate who was received from the east end police station attended court sittings on the same 17th of april 2020 at court no. 6 before a magistrate and was received at the remand centre, pademba road correctional centre on the same 17' of april 2020.
He reported sick on the 20th april 2020 and was subsequently admitted at the male correctional centre hospital. During his admission he confessed that he escaped from a quarantine centre at cow yard, guard street, freetown. He was referred to 34 hospital and later to connaught hospital on friday, 24th april 2020. On sunday, 26th april he was confirmed positive and is now case 90 from eoc.
In view of the above the chief justice in consultation with the inspector-general of police and the director-general of the sierra leone correctional centre hereby take the following measures:
1. All inmates at the freetown male re-integration centre hereinafter called “the isolation and observation unit” at special court be transferred to the male correctional centre at pademba road;
2. All inmates at the remand section at pademba road and the correctional hospital are now with immediate effect relocated
To “the isolation and observation unit” at special court as a quarantine measure; inmates from the correctional hospital will be transferred / treated separately from the other inmates;
3. The church building at pademba road will be temporarily used as a medical referral centre for inmates at the male correctional centre.
The current remand centre at pademba road is being fumigated and it is currently out of use.
As a result of the above, it is hereby announced that with immediate effect, there is cessation of all court activities in the magistrates courts nationwide for one month effective tuesday, 28t” april 2020 to prevent movement of possibly infected persons from police stations to court and court to prisons.
All other civil or criminal cases in magistrates courts are likewise postponed for a month effective 28a of april 2020. The police are ready to give police bail as far as possible for new offenders and to hold serious offenders without bail where necessary.
All EOC protocols are now being put in place to trace primary and secondary contacts.
Further to the above, the judiciary announces the following new measures to contain the spread of covid-19:
1. The civil high court which was scheduled to commence work from the 11' of may 2020 is hereby postponed to monday, 10 of june 2020.
2. The january criminal session comes to an end with immediate effect.
3. The special criminal sessions which was scheduled to start on the 8th of may 2020 is hereby postponed to thursday, 28th of may 2020.
4. The may criminal sessions commencing 18th of may 2020 is also postponed to monday, 10 of june 2020.
Honourable Justice Desmond Babatunde Edwards the honourable chief justice of the republic of sierra leone
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Government of Sierra Leone.
Source: Apo-Opa
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