June 1, 2021
By: Francis F.M.Harding
Two of the three judges of the Appeals Court of Sierra Leone have on the 31st May,2021 exonerated Finda Diana Konomanyi former Minister of Lands from the findings and recommendations of the Commissions of enquiry (COI) white paper, of Commission 64 presided over by Justice Biobele Georgewill.
The white paper recommendations of the Nigerian judge heavily implicated the former Minister of Lands and Local Government under the APC Government of causing financial loss to the government of Sierra Leone. The Appeal Court Judge, Hon. Justice Fatmata Bintu Alhadi was one of the judges that presided over the matter between the person of interest, Finda Diana Konomanyi, and the state respectively.
Justice Bintu Alhadi in her judgment noted the grounds that “the learned Judge/sole Commissioner failed to adequately consider all appellants’ property situated/lying and being at Adonkia in the Western Area of Sierra Leone to be forfeited to the State and more particularly on the evidence of a patently discredited valuation and an incompetent witness.”
Justice Biobele Georgewill white paper recommendations against former Minister Konomanyi stated that she must repay Le 30,000,000/00 or 6 months in prison or to seize her house at Adonkia which is valued over 9 billion Leones. The two Judges among the three chimed on the decision that the erstwhile minister of Lands must be set free and her property handed over to her.
In view of the constitutional instrument number 64 of 2018, the President of Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio pursuant to section 107 of the Constitution of Sierra Leone set up the Justice Biobele Commission of Inquiry. The terms and conditions of the Commissioner were to investigate whether assets were acquired lawful or unlawfully in respect of person’s activities of President, Vice President, former Ministers, Deputy Ministers, and their deputies, Heads of Departments and Parastatals within November 2007 to April 2018. It was setup to ascertain whether the aforementioned persons lived above certain standard of life.
However, one of the three Judges, Hon. Justice Fatmata Bintu Alhadi, said she did not agree with the findings and recommendations by the two other Judges (Justice Komba Kamanda and Justice Tonia Barnett) of the Appeal Court against Diana Konomanyi. Lawyer I. Sorie and F. Sorie represented the appellant and I.J.Fornah represented the State.