Mr. Tamba Dauda the Director of Survey at the Ministry of Lands
By Shadrach Aziz Kamara
On Tuesday 13th September 2021 Mr. Tamba Dauda the Director of Survey at the Ministry of Lands appeared before Justice Mohamed Bawoh of the High Court of Sierra Leone on a court warrant.
The warrant was dated September 5th, 2022 by the presiding judge, Justice Mohamed Bawoh. The said warrant was executed by the bailiff official who made statement in court. The bailiff official said the warrant was executed at the office of the Director of Survey Tamba Dauda in the Ministry of Lands youyi Building Brookfields in Freetown.
Presenting the complainant was lawyer A. Jalloh. In his statement, Lawyer Jalloh said that the order which the Judge made on the 7th September has not been complied with by Tamba Dauda the Director of Survey in the Ministry of Lands. He said that they had endeavor to bring him in court to ensure compliance. He added that Tamba Dauda has refused to countersign the survey plans submitted to his office since January. The lawyer continued that it is a gross disrespect of the court. He said also that the defendant conduct is amounted to an abuse of office and position. He pleaded to the bench to hold the defendant for contempt and to incarcerate him until the order is obeyed.
The lawyer representing the defendant, applied for a bail on behalf of Tamba Dauda, adding that he is a senior citizen and that he will not jump bail. Lawyer A. Bangura went on to say that as a counsel representing Tamba Dauda he will file papers in respect to the matter. He continues that his client is willing to explain to the court the processes of Survey. He said that the defendant is a senior staff in the Ministry of Lands. He added that his client is not a flight risk. He will always make himself available whenever he is needed by the court. He went on to say that his client has reliable sureties to entire his recognizant if only he is granted bail. He further told the court that his client is willing to countersign the plans. He added that as counsel representing the defendant, he will personally engage the counsel of the plaintiff to engage his survivor to complete his part so that the survey plans will be countersigned.
In response to the application made by the counsel of the defendant, Lawyer A. Jalloh said let the bench ordered the defendant to sign the plans in front of the court. He expressed dissatisfaction over the act of the defendant by stating that they want due process to be followed. He went on that these plans have been there since January for them to be countersign and submitted to their office. He added that Tamba Dauda the Director of Survey and Lands was fully aware of what he has been asked to do by the court but he deliberately refused not to countersign the plans. He said that when the judge made his order the Director of Survey was also informed about the order. He appealed to the bench to order the Director of Surveys to sign the documents. He also requested the court to order the defendant to pay a cost of twenty million Leones. He concluded that they are not asking for a favor they are only asking for the director of the Survey to do his work.
