SPECIAL COURT REGRETS HINGA NORMAN'S DEATH : INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL EXPERTS TO INVESTIGATE
Shortly after the death of the Special Court indictee , Sam Hinga Norman, was on Thursday announced, Registrar of the Court Lovemore Munlo told journalists at a news conference that an investigation has to be conducted by international medical experts to know the cause of Mr. Norman’s death.
The former Internal Affairs Minister according to the Public Affairs Office Special Court for Sierra Leone, collapsed at 10:55 on Thursday morning and attempts to revive him proved futile. He was later pronounced dead at about 11:15.
Prosecutor of the Court , Stephen Rapp, said that his office was informed about the defendant’s death before the Special Court. He says Mr. Norman’s death means that there will not be a judgment issued by the Trial Chamber in his case as all parties to this case deserved to see a verdict rendered. Mr. Rapp says Hinga Norman’s death has deprived Sierra Leoneans of their right to see justice done in an important and high-profile case before the Special Court.
Mr. Norman had been charged with eight counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity stemming from acts allegedly carried out by the Civil Defence Militia which he headed during Sierra Leone’s decade-long civil conflict. He had maintained his innocence throughout the trial, which began in June 2005.
A verdict in the case was to have been delivered in April this year.
