POLITICAL CRAZZYNESS

From Common Law to Cultural Icons: The Selective Sword of “Incitement” The sentencing of Zainab Sheriff on  14 April 2026  to four years and two months in prison has ignited a fierce debate on the limits of political speech. To understand the gravity of this case, one must first understand what the state is legally required to prove to secure a conviction for incitement. The Elements of Incitement Under the traditional legal framework still active in Sierra Leone, the prosecution must prove three core elements beyond a reasonable doubt: The Actus Reus:  That the defendant performed an act (speech, writing, or gesture) capable of encouraging or persuading another to commit a crime. The Mens Rea:  That the defendant had the specific intent that the crime be committed. Communication:  That the message reached its intended audience, even if no crime was ultimately carried out. The Ghost of English Law and the "World at Large" The prosecution in the Sheri...

From Common Law to Cultural Icons: The Selective Sword of “Incitement” ZAINAB SHERIFF:JAILED 4 YEAR 2 MONTHS The sentencing of Zainab Sheriff on 14 April 2026 to four years and two months in prison has ignited a fierce debate on the limits of political speech. To understand the gravity of this case, one must first understand what the state is legally required to prove to secure a conviction for incitement. The Elements of Incitement Under the traditional legal framework still active in Sierra Leone, the prosecution must prove three core elements beyond a reasonable doubt: The Actus Reus: That the defendant performed an act (speech, writing, or gesture) capable of encouraging or persuading another to commit a crime. The Mens Rea: That the defendant had the specific intent that the crime be committed. Communication: That the message reached its intended audience, even if no crime was ultimately carried out. The Ghost of English Law and the "World at Large " The p...

You PONDER MY THOUGHTS BY                                                                      Andrew Keili                           YVONNE AKI SAWYERR: MAYOR IN A MARE’S NEST “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” Romans 5:3-4 The wanton attack on the new Mayor of Freetown, Yvonne Aki Sawyerr who had barely settled down to work was indeed surprising. Stories abound as to who did and why. What is certain however is that verbal abuse of the Mayor was followed by her being hit with a stick whilst she was being driven away from her office after a meeting with the Internal Affairs Minister and the top brass of the Police. She had apparently been warned to b...

         {Courtesy }  GLOBAL NEWS NETWORK : Monrovia Liberia http://gnnliberia.com/ F rom Paul Ejime In Freetown, Sierra Leone | Sierra Leone DIGP receives Prof Sawyer Sierra Leone’s Police (SLP) have explained that the ban on vehicular movement on March 7 Election Day is aimed at securing public order and safety, consistent with the police mandate. Twelve of the 16 political parties have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the vehicular ban, with the dissenting parties alleging that the measure would infringe on the constitutional provision on free movement. Receiving the Head of ECOWAS Election Observation Mission Prof Amos Sawyer on behalf of the Inspector-General at the SLP Headquarters in Freetown on Friday 2 nd  March, Deputy Inspector-General (DIG) Al-Shek Kamara said all the political parties and the National Electoral Commission (NEC), Sierra Leone, participated in consultations that resulted in the MOU. He pointed out that under the...

 By WILFRED KANU JR ( Son of the Publisher of Cocorioko )  {Courtesy: Cocorioko 20/12/2017} Dr. Samura Kamara is the most qualified candidate to be the next president of Sierra Leone. His purpose is not only to protect and advance the global achievements President Ernest Bai Koroma has already made on the policy-making surface but also in national sectors such as education, healthcare, agriculture, tourism, mines, infrastructural development, manufacturing and other agencies where improvement is needed. One of the main concerns is to reduce unemployment among the youth while creating new jobs and opportunities for all Sierra Leoneans. The lousy opinion that a few ignorant creators of negative propaganda are spreading among voters (as fact) is one that overlooks the truth that President Ernest Koroma is an avid patriot. His administration has made several actual improvements, laying down the foundation for further human growth and development. In Sierra Leone’s case, because of...

By WILFRED KANU JR {Courtesy: Cocorioko} When we declare that this presidential candidate suffices to advance President Koroma’s agenda for human development in Sierra Leone, it does not suggest that he has no enactments on his part. We have studied the economic history of the nation, and despite being limited, we appreciate the growth of human development in the country. We note this from an international point of view. In doing so, we believe that the best course of action in this current election is, in fact, Samura Kamara, coupled with the progress made by the Koroma administration. On the long road to economic, industrial and technological improvement, Sierra Leone’s wise decision at this moment is to maintain the current course set by this government. Those who win the next election must set a prudent standard to improve the economy. During this election, the people of Sierra Leone must recognize our premature misconceptions when we criminalized previous governments without any c...