Credit: JoSL
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Claim: A viral video circulating on social media claims that masquerades were arrested and tried at the High Court of Justice in Sierra Leone.
Verdict: False! According to the Public Relations Officer, Judiciary of Sierra Leone, this wasn’t in the High Court of Justice in Sierra Leone.
Full Text
A widely shared Facebook video by Ibrahim4SL TV shows masquerades standing in what appears to be a courtroom. In the video, a narrator claims that the masquerades were arrested and later tried at the High Court of Justice in Sierra Leone. The claim has generated mixed reactions online, with some users expressing surprise while others questioned the authenticity of the footage.
The judiciary is one of the most respected institutions in Sierra Leone. Any false claim suggesting that unusual cases, such as masquerades being tried in court, took place at the High Court can mislead the public and damage confidence in the justice system. Therefore, DUBAWA decided to verify the claim.
Verification
DUBAWA carefully reviewed the viral video. The clip shows masquerades standing in a courtroom-like setting, with uniformed security personnel and legal practitioners present. However, the video does not clearly show any official symbols, flags, or court signs that identify the location as a court in Sierra Leone.
To confirm the claim, DUBAWA contacted the Public Relations Officer of the Judiciary of Sierra Leone, Mr Francis Hinga Murray, to verify whether such a case occurred at the High Court of Justice.
In response, Francis Hinga Murray firmly denied the claim. He stated that no masquerades were arrested or tried at the High Court of Justice in Sierra Leone. According to him, the Judiciary has no record of such a case.
He further clarified that the incident shown in the video did not happen in Sierra Leone at all. Mr Murray explained that the video is being wrongly circulated with a false narrative to make people believe it took place in Sierra Leone’s High Court.
Conclusion
The claim that the viral video shows masquerades arrested and tried at the High Court of Justice in Sierra Leone is false. Confirmation from the Public Relations Officer of the Judiciary, Francis Hinga Murray, indicates that the incident neither occurred at the High Court nor took place in Sierra Leone.
