It has come to the attention of the Office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice that there are certain false and misleading posts in circulation stating that “SL Government lost the case against Shandong and Sierra mining companies in an international tribunal and were therefore fined $800 million”.
We wish to inform the public that the Government of Sierra Leone is not involved in any dispute with Shandong Iron and Steel Group (Shandong) in any international tribunal.
The Republic of Sierra Leone is defending claims brought against it in three cases, two in the United States and one in the United Kingdom, by a company known as SL Mining/Gerald International Limited.
This is the first time since the commencement of mining in the Republic of Sierra Leone in 1930 that Sierra Leone has resisted powerful business interests and insisted on its right to regulate its mining activities and defend the rule of law at international arbitration.
We believe that the Republic of Sierra Leone is entitled to defend itself when taken to any court and deserves the highest quality legal representation.
We assure all Sierra Leoneans, the international community and our friends that there is no final judgement against the Republic of Sierra Leone in any international tribunal or court. Any rumours to the contrary are false. The Government will continue to defend the people of Sierra Leone and the transparent, open, and rule of law-based system they deserve.
We therefore appeal to the public to respect the legal process and refrain from publishing material that is untrue and adverse to the interest of the State. As our legal team continues to work tirelessly with the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Resources to represent the Republic of Sierra Leone, the Office of the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice implores all Sierra Leoneans to find solidarity through these words of our National Anthem:
“We pledge our devotion, our strength and our might, Thy cause to defend and to stand for thy right; All that we have be ever thine own, Land that we love, our Sierra Leone”.
May God bless Sierra Leone.
24th January 2020
