Special Court Deputy Prosecutor Joseph Kamara appointed new Anti-Corruption Chief
23rd July 2010 · 2 Comments
The Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation TV ( SLBCTV ) has announced the appointment of a new Chairman of Sierra Leone’s Anti-Corruption Commission. The new ACC Commissioner is Mr. Joseph Kamara , the Deputy Prosecutor of the Special Court of Sierra Leone and President of the Sierra Leone Bar Association. He replaces Mr. Abdul Tejan-Cole , who resigned few months ago .
Mr.Tejan-Cole’s resignation was greeted with all kinds of speculations by the opposition Sierra Leone People’s Party ( SLPP ) and its newspapers ,who alleged that he had quit in protest at government interferance into his work. However, Tejan-Cole himself never made any public statement to the effect and even Sierra Leoneans in America who went to see him in New York expecting a bombshell from him came away empty: Tejan-Cole infact commended President Ernest Koroma to them.
Only last Saturday July 17, 2010 the former Anti-Corruption Commissioner in a panel discussion at the Central European University in Budapest, Hungary said that President Ernest Bai Koroma at no time during his tenure interfered with his work. Mr. Tejan – Cole actually resigned to become the Africa Regional Director of the Open Society Institute, which belongs to Billionaire George Soros.
The International Criminal Court ( ICC) has this biographical account of Mr. Kamara.
Mr. Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara was born in Makeni, Bombali District, Sierra Leone. In 1985 he was admitted to the Faculty of Law, Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone and was called to the Bar in 1990. During his studies he was recruited into the Law Officer’s Department where he served in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution for eight years. During those years he was involved in high profile cases and made several appearances in the High Court, Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court. Mr. J.F. Kamara advised the Government of Sierra Leone on legal issues and represented Government’s interests in the Courts of the land.
In January 2004, Mr. J.F. Kamara joined the Special Court and a year later given the task to lead the CDF Prosecution Team. Again, his hard work and competence was quickly noted as he was promoted to the position of Senior Trial Attorney. He successfully completed the CDF Case to its appellate conclusion. In August of 2008 Mr. J.F. Kamara was appointed by the Government of Sierra Leone and approved by the UN Secretary-General to hold the position of Deputy Prosecutor of the Special Court. He is the first Sierra Leonean to hold that office. Mr. J.F. Kamara is a tutor of International Criminal Procedure and Practice at the Sierra Leone Law School. He has participated and made presentations in several international conferences such as the Nigerian Bar Association Annual Conference, and the East African Law Society/International Bar Association on the Impact of International Criminal Justice in East Africa, held in Naivaisha, Kenya.
© 2010, Wilfred Kabs Kanu. All rights reserved. Discuss this article on the Salone Forum Salone Forum
While the thrash talkers were making noise about the delay of the President in appointing a new ACC commissioner, The president was carrying on his job to find someone with an impeccable record, knowledge and character to head the ACC. This is an example of a great leadership, he’s not rushing to get things done but rather ensuring to get things right.
i want to know why you are only publishing online.not everybody access to the internet.