By Antonia Howard
CLAIM: Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray is dead – social media users
VERDICT: False! The 2018 Presidential Candidate in Sierra Leone Mohamed Kamarainba
Mansaray appeared at a High Court in Freetown today where he was granted bail.
Full Text
Rumours went viral on WhatsApp last weekend claiming 2018 presidential candidate and chairman of the Alliance Democratic Party (ADP) Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray, had passed away at the Freetown Male Correctional Centre where he was being detained pending the conclusion of his trial for sexual offences. His photo was shared with an “RIP…” message indicating that he had died.
Kamarainba Mansaray who was detained in July 2020 and had spent over a year behind bars. Civil Society and Human Rights groups condemned his prolonged detention, stating some reasons why he should be released including an independent medical report suggesting that Mr Mansaray’s health is “gravely degenerating as the days go by.”
Verification
Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray appeared in court himself today, where he and his coaccused were granted bail for one hundred million leones (Le100M = $10,000) and two sureties; one with a house ownership document and both of whom must submit their traveling documents and report to the Acting Master and Registrar of the High Court three days a week.
Prior to his appearance in court today, the Sierra Leone Correctional Services (SLCS) debunked the viral rumours about Kamarainba’s death in a statement posted on their Facebook page saying “Kamarainba is alive and well. The rumour trending about his death is untrue”.
“The Correctional Service, with close support from the government, is doing all it can to keep all inmates in secure and humane condition,” the Public Relations Officer of the SLCS, Leslie Cole-Showers, said.
Kamarainba Mansaray is currently being tried on eight count charges of conspiracy to commit an act of sexual penetration, intentionally meeting a child for sexual purposes, engaging in an act of sexual penetration with a child, among others; contrary to the Sierra Leone’s Sexual Offences and Child Protection laws.
The researcher produced this fact-check per the Dubawa 2020 Fellowship partnership with the Africa Young Voices Media Empire to facilitate the ethos of truth in journalism andenhance media literacy in the country.
