Sierra Leone’s crusading female journalist , former Social Welfare and Gender Minister and politician, Dr. Sylvia Blyden, has had her bail restored. She was released today from incarceration.
Blyden is being tried by the government for alleged seditious libel, emanating from her criticism of the government’s handling of the covid 19 pandemic and another political prisoner, former Defence Minister, Palo Conteh, who is being tried for alleged Treason . Many Sierra Leoneans in the social media have condemned her arrest , describing it as unlawful, unconstitutional and illegal and have been advocating for her release.
Nothing irritated advocates more than the event of two weeks ago when Dr. Blyden was released on bail, but a day later her bail was rescinded allegedly because she posted more criticisms of the government on social media. The judge’s decision was described as another unlawful act.
Today, however, Dr. Blyden’s bail was restored . It is not under what conditions.
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BREAKING NEWS: THE PERSONAL STATEMENT PUBLISHED AND WIDELY CIRCULATED LAST WEEKEND, PURPORTED TO HAVE BEEN WRITTEN BY DR SYLVIA OLAYINKA BLYDEN ON THE ORDERS OF MAGISTRATE HANNAH BUNNIE HAS TURNED OUT TO BE A FRAUD. DR BLYDEN DID NOT WRITE IT! SEE BELOW.
👸🏻✌️😃❤️🇸🇱‼️
*The Office of Dr. Sylvia Olayinka Blyden OOR* is pleased to announce that she has been released from the Special Court Female Prisons few minutes ago after her bail was reinstated through the help of her lawyer, Hon. Charles Francis Margai Esq.
Meanwhile, it is important to inform all that a purported PERSONAL STATEMENT issued here on this *exact Facebook URL* with a date of June 17th 2020 in the name of Dr. Sylvia Blyden and claiming to be addressing various issues on her behalf, is a complete fraud. It was never so authorized.
That fraudulent Statement of June 17th 2020 with title of “PERSONAL STATEMENT FROM DR. SYLVIA OLAYINKA BLYDEN OOR ON PEACE, UNITY, NATIONAL SECURITY AND RESPECT FOR THE JUDICIARY IN SIERRA LEONE” was *NOT* issued by the eminent lady. Please discard it. Dr. Blyden has not had access to the Internet since June 3rd 2020 until today as there is no Internet Service for prison detainees in Sierra Leone.
There were many other pointers that should have made readers know the Statement was not credible but a fraud. For example, Dr. Blyden was not held at Pademba Road Prisons but at the Special Court Prisons located at New England. The impugned statement claimed to have been issued from Pademba Road Prisons.
We are now working with senior Facebook company executives in California, USA to ensure we fully secure this Facebook Wall of Dr. Sylvia Olayinka Blyden from any more such unauthorized activities.
Once again, please discard that fraudulent statement of June 17th 2020 as it is unauthorized.
All personal statements issued by Dr. Sylvia Olayinka Blyden OOR normally have her actual signature appended at the end of a printed hard copy that is then saved as a PDF or Image document which is then widely shared on various platforms including WhatsApp.
We also have the announced official numbers of this Office which numbers never did distribute the purported statement on WhatsApp. It was a complete fraud. A hoax on the public.
Thank you.
*Sierra Leone Office of Dr. Sylvia Blyden*
24 Garrison Street
Freetown, Sierra Leone.
International WhatsApp: +447459874712
Local Phone: +232-77-772001
DR SYLVIA OLYANKA BLYDEN Vs THE STATE:
THE NEW CASE OF CONTEMPT OF COURT IS
MORE OF, “TAKING A SLEDGE HAMMER, TO KILL A FLY”! AND A “MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING” GAME!
Below is the Court Application by The Director of Public Prosecution and Affidavit by State Counsel J S Tucker, Charging Dr Sylvia Olayinka Blyden to Court for ‘Contempt’ asking for a committal to Prison (apparently for NINE (9) MONTHS).
It is somewhat Laughable when you read the documents and one wonders why Tax Payers’ money must be wasted in situations like this which is plainly a vexatious suit serving NO PURPOSE whatsoever. What public interest will such prosecution serve even if the accused is convicted?
Moreover, it will be recalled that for this same assumed breach of Bail conditions, the Presiding Magistrate in Court No 1, HANNAH BONNIE. has actually already PUNISHED Dr. Sylvia Olayinka Blyden with TWO PENALTIES: (1) THE WITHDRAWAL OF BAIL (which was secured through extraneous requests) and SENT BACK TO PRISON FOR OVER TWO WEEKS NOW, AND, INSTRUCTING DR BLYDEN TO WRITE AN APOLOGY WITH SPECIFIC CONDUIT OF DISSOCIATING HERSELF FROM [NEGATIVE] NEWSPAPER PUBLICATIONS, CARING ARTICLES OR MESSAGES OF ABUSES AND DISRESPECT FOR THE JUDICIARY, and in particular, the Magistrate , Attorney General etc. This is more akin to a naughty primary school child being given punishment of writing 100 lines, and put in the cooler for being mischievous!
It is the principle in law that a man cannot be punished twice for the same crime in the same jurisdiction! THIS IS “DOUBLE JEOPARDY “! [NON BIS IN IDEM]. This is what is happening here. I suppose Magistrate Hannah is a competent who is well equipped and capable to have assessed whatever breach of the Bail Conditions she slammed at Dr. Blyden and as such decided it is punishment enough to have given her what she(Hannah Bonnie) considered as appropriate a punishment for the contempt for who’s Dr Blyden is again being dragged to the High Court with a desperate desire to send her to Prison. DR BLYDEN HAS ALREADY ENDURED THE PENALTY FOR SUCH MINUTIAE of a breach of The Magistrate’s order and “TO TAKE A SLEDGE HAMMER TO KILL A FLY”
is indeed shameful and a paediatric approach to the serious application of of the Law! It would appear that the prosecution, seeing the case before Magistrate Bunnie not going their way, they have deliberately tried to find another avenue to get Dr Bylden imprisoned.
Today, her bail has been restored, and now that Dr BLYDEN is legally represented, I trust Lawyer Charles Francis Margai will use his experience to get this cases thrown out.
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P.S. INFORMATION FROM DR SOB OFFICE:
THE WIDELY CIRCULATED SUPPOSED ‘PERSONAL APOLOGY STATEMENT’ OF LAST THURSDAY/FRIDAY IS A FRAUD. Dr Blyden did not write it
👸🏻✌️😃❤️🇸🇱‼️
*The Office of Dr. Sylvia Olayinka Blyden OOR* is pleased to announce that she has been released from the Special Court Female Prisons few minutes ago after her bail was reinstated through the help of her lawyer, Hon. Charles Francis Margai Esq.
Meanwhile, it is important to inform all that a purported PERSONAL STATEMENT issued here on this *exact Facebook URL* with a date of June 17th 2020 in the name of Dr. Sylvia Blyden and claiming to be addressing various issues on her behalf, is a complete fraud. It was never so authorized.
That fraudulent Statement of June 17th 2020 with title of “PERSONAL STATEMENT FROM DR. SYLVIA OLAYINKA BLYDEN OOR ON PEACE, UNITY, NATIONAL SECURITY AND RESPECT FOR THE JUDICIARY IN SIERRA LEONE” was *NOT* issued by the eminent lady. Please discard it. Dr. Blyden has not had access to the Internet since June 3rd 2020 until today as there is no Internet Service for prison detainees in Sierra Leone.
There were many other pointers that should have made readers know the Statement was not credible but a fraud. For example, Dr. Blyden was not held at Pademba Road Prisons but at the Special Court Prisons located at New England. The impugned statement claimed to have been issued from Pademba Road Prisons.
We are now working with senior Facebook company executives in California, USA to ensure we fully secure this Facebook Wall of Dr. Sylvia Olayinka Blyden from any more such unauthorized activities.
Once again, please discard that fraudulent statement of June 17th 2020 as it is unauthorized.
All personal statements issued by Dr. Sylvia Olayinka Blyden OOR normally have her actual signature appended at the end of a printed hard copy that is then saved as a PDF or Image document which is then widely shared on various platforms including WhatsApp.
We also have the announced official numbers of this Office which numbers never did distribute the purported statement on WhatsApp. It was a complete fraud. A hoax on the public.
Thank you.
*Sierra Leone Office of Dr. Sylvia Blyden*
24 Garrison Street
Freetown, Sierra Leone.
International WhatsApp: +447459874712
Local Phone: +232-77-772001
