Freetown, May 2025 — Sierra Leone’s Chief Justice, His Lordship Honourable Justice Komba Kamanda, has committed to establishing a specialized Fast-Track Court to address offences in the electricity sector.
The move, reported by the Sierra Leone Judiciary Communications Unit, forms part of ongoing efforts to support national reforms and combat widespread electricity theft and infrastructure vandalism.
This announcement followed a strategic meeting with the Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA) management, led by Honourable Dr. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella, Chairman of the Presidential Initiative on Climate Change, Renewable Energy and Food Security.
Dr. Yumkella acknowledged the judiciary’s support and emphasized the purpose of the meeting, which was to discuss the formation of a court staffed with trained judicial officers and prosecutors from the Attorney General’s Office to adjudicate electricity-related crimes.
“At the moment His Excellency the President currently serves as the Acting Minister of Energy and he is spearheading energy sector reforms,” he said, adding that “EDSA is undergoing significant reform, including a planned privatization.”
He revealed that a bidding process for private sector participation is currently underway and expected to conclude by December 2025. In the meantime, the sector is undergoing technological upgrades, including enhanced metering and advanced fault-detection systems.
“One of the primary concerns among investors is EDSA’s financial stability and capacity to meet its obligations,” the Chairman Honourable Dr. Yumkella said. He highlighted that the utility loses between 55% and 72% of its revenue due to technical and commercial losses, including illegal connections and theft.
Shedding light on the extent of the losses, he added that although EDSA should collect Le 8.5 million monthly, it currently receives only Le 5.5 million.
He stated that the national power supply is limited to just 150 megawatts for a population of 8 million and highlighted an outstanding debt of $24 million, attributing part of it to systemic vandalism, as confirmed by reports from the African Development Bank (AfDB).
Dr. Yumkella appealed for a judicial response commensurate with the scale of the crisis, proposing a fast-track mechanism to expedite cases involving power theft, illegal meter bypassing, and damage to infrastructure, including transformers. He also reaffirmed EDSA’s commitment to internal reforms and greater accountability.
Responding to the call, Chief Justice Kamanda confirmed the Judiciary’s intention to establish a specialized court to address these matters with urgency and precision. He emphasized the need for strong inter-agency collaboration, particularly with the Attorney General’s Office.
“Designated State Counsel should be assigned to handle EDSA related cases,” the Honourable Chief Justice said, stressing that “Investigations must be thorough and not left solely to police prosecutors; the Law Officers’ Department should be fully engaged.”
He announced that the Judicial and Legal Training Institute (JLTI) would facilitate training for judges and magistrates to ensure readiness ahead of the court’s launch. He described electricity as a public interest issue and a matter of national security, and assured the Judiciary’s support for broader development goals.
Adding to the discussion, Honourable Justice Fatmatta Bintu Alhadi requested data on all pending electricity-related cases in the courts to help streamline tracking and case monitoring efforts.
