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No Magistrate for Bonthe District

Author: Mohamed K Senesie SEM

The whole of Bonthe District has no magistrate to preside over cases, and people have to wait for months before a visiting magistrate is seen, Sierra Express Media reveals.

In a snap interview with Mr. Francis Tokowa, a civil society advocate, the absence of a resident magistrate in Bonthe district is a cause for concern and therefore needs urgent action.

Mr. Mohamed Stevens, who was the resident magistrate in the district, was transferred with no replacement, and even though the Bonthe community has made repeated calls to the judiciary for the situation to be corrected, this has not been done.

Residents of Bonthe have expressed dissatisfaction with their present situation, and have said they saw no reason why the magistrate was suddenly transferred with no replacement. “It looks as if we are not considered in this country,” said one angry resident, who complained that the rights ofÂ Â innocent people have been violated.

The lack of a magistrate is also having serious repercussions on the police, and sources have confirmed that the police cells have become over crowded.

The Local Unit Commander of the Bonthe district police had earlier stated that over crowding is one of the major problems facing them as a result of a lack of a magistrate.

The police seem to be having lots of difficulties in detaining accused persons and some are said to be remanded in police cell for more than the requested or stipulated period thereby violating the constitutional rights of accused persons in Bonthe district.

“From all indication, there is a complete human rights abuse in the district as people are detained for no just cause and cases for which they are accused are not judged but rather left aside and the accused person continues to suffer in the hands of the police,” said Mr. Tokowa.

A senior member of the judiciary informed Sierra Express Media that they are working to fill the vacuum, but said the judiciary is constrained for lack of logistics as well as magistrates.

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