The News Review:

- Sierra Leone: Kenema State Prison in Bad Shape
- Sierra Leone: YMCA Holds Gop Conference
- Sierra Leone: Porous Borders Hinder Fight Against Fake Drugs

Sierra Leone: Kenema State Prison in Bad Shape
AllAfrica.com Washington 
Sevallie said police officers often take mobile phones from prisoners so they are not able to communicate with their lawyers or relatives. He said the right of accused persons to understand charges preferred against them must not only be upheld but must also be provided with a copy of the judgment at the end of the trial. All of these rights are protected by the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone. “Unfortunately Kenema district does not have any legal oversight to monitor the activities of magistrates and judges as the bench is bound to abuse the rights of accused persons” he said. nly the Western Area has judicial oversight to ensure the rights of accused persons are respected. Regional prisons commander East Cecilia Kaikai agreed that there are problems in the Kenema prison but said her department is working hard to address them. She said the health and sanitation condition of inmates is prominent on her agenda especially for the male prison which is more crowded.

Sierra Leone: YMCA Holds Gop Conference
AllAfrica.com Washington 
GA_googleFillSlot( “AllAfrica_Story_Inset” );The objective of the meeting was to assess their activities for the past years and strategize for the year 2009. Chairman of the occasion Sahr Lebbie said YMCA has made tremendous contributions towards the development of the people of Sierra Leone through the provision of humanitarian assistance. He said it has been difficult to overcome some of the challenges faced by the association but that with the intervention of their partners they have succeeded in creating a positive impact on the lives of the people in all their operational communities across the country. Secretary General of the association Christian Martyn Kamara said the group was founded in 1912 and has succeeded in bringing into its fold over one thousand young men and women from various communities. He said their core responsibility is to develop young people through vocational skills training sports good governance and peace building gender and women’s empowerment among others. Kamara said the organization is seriously engaged in agriculture activities and that they have acquired 21 acres of farm land which is presently under cultivation.

Sierra Leone: Porous Borders Hinder Fight Against Fake Drugs
AllAfrica.com Washington 
It made her feel uneasy and her body began to swell. She had to go to the pharmacy to get other drugs to make her better. Wiltshire Johnson the acting registrar of the Pharmacy Board said counterfeit and substandard drugs are a big problem in Sierra Leone. If people take these it can cause them to become sick or even kill them. “Everything is counterfeited in Sierra Leone especially if it is required in large volumes” Johnson said. Everyday products such as painkillers and antibiotics are the most commonly counterfeited. These products are most often sold by people selling medicines without a license.
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