The All People’s Congress (APC) led Government of Sierra Leone now possess one third of the eleven point five acres of the Detention Facility of the Special Court for Sierra Leone, situated at New England in Freetown.

The ownership of the said premises was formally handed over to the Government of Sierra Leone on Monday 16th November 2009 at a ceremony held at the Special Court helipad premises.

Binta Mansaray, Acting Registrar of the Special Court for Sierra Leone handed over the symbolic key of the Detention Facility to the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abdul Seer Kamal, who then proceeded to hand over the key to the Director of Prisons, Moses Showers.

The occasion was graced by various highly placed personalities including the Chief Justice of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Her Lady Umu Hawa Tejan Jalloh, Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Chris Charley, Army Chief of Defence Staff Major General Nelson Williams and Prisons Officers.

Presentation of certificates and awards to prisons officers, in recognition of their outstanding contribution to the Detention Facility of the Special Court, forms part of yesterday’s handing over ceremony.

Acting Registrar of the Special Court for Sierra Leone, Binta Mansaray said they are very much satisfied with the performance of the court, adding that it has contributed immensely towards combating impunity in not only Sierra Leone but the sub region as a whole.

She said over one hundred and fifty personnel of the Sierra Leone Prisons Department worked with the Special Court for Sierra Leone, whilst thanking the Government of Sierra Leone for what she described as its excellence cooperation over the years.

She also expressed appreciation to the international community for providing funds and ensuring that the Court takes center stage in the system of international criminal justice.

Binta Mansaray lauded the efforts and courage of victims who explained their stories that led to the successful prosecution and conviction of those who bears the greatest responsibilities in the war that ravaged Sierra Leone.

The conviction of the indictees, according to Mansaray, will serve as a lesson to Sierra Leoneans in particular that they would be held to account for turning their backs on their own people.

Receiving the key to the facility, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice expressed hope that the detention staff will judiciously utilize the skills they have acquired from the Special Court.

He used the forum as an opportunity to inform his audience that the Sierra Leone Prisons Department is at the verge of restructure, adding that it will soon be known and called Correctional Services Department.

He thanked the United Nations, present and past governments of Sierra Leone and other stakeholders for their contribution towards ending the conflict in Sierra Leone.

The Director of Prisons Department, Moses Showers disclosed that the Special Courts Detention Facility would be adequately used for female prisoners.