Madam Isha Johansen’s Fashion For Change and Football For Reform Initiatives has secured the release of four young male inmates at the Sierra Leone Correctional Center in Freetown.
Four young men were released after their fines were paid by Madam Isha Johansen’s Fashion For Change:
- 27-year-old Mohamed Turay from Waterloo. He served 15-month jail in for fraudulent conversion.
- 25-year-old Augustine Kokofele from Lungi. He served 15-month in jail for disorderly behaviour.
- 22-year-old John Lamin from Kenema, but stays at Akram in Freetown. He served 15 months in jail for riotous conduct.
- 20-year-old Talton Ndawoma Thomas from Kissy Roda, Freetown. He spent 18 months in prison for riotous conduct.
Madam Isha Johansen, who is currently serving as a FIFA Council Member and founder of Fashion For Change and Football For Reform paid the fines of the four inmates at a tune of NLE17,000 (17 million Leones old notes). To assist them in integrating back into the society, a financial assistance of NLE600 was given to each of them.
Priori to their release, the four inmates had already completed their jail terms months ago, but they were still in custody for failure to pay their corresponding fines levied against them by the state.
Speaking to the legal representative and media reporters, the Director of Security and Operations at the Sierra Leone Correctional Service, Colonel B.N. Gogra expresses his appreciation and gratitude to Madam Isha and her team for their kind and humanitarian gesture to secure the release of the four young men. He further calls for public support to decongest the prisons.
“Thank you for thinking about them. A lot of inmates have been here, completed their jail terms but fines yet to be paid. I want to say thanks and appreciation to Madam Isha for paying for their fines. There are eight them; four now have been paid for and the remaining four are still. We call on other parties to step up and help the remaining,” said Colonel Gogra.
Speaking to the released inmates, Mrs. Nanah Sesay, Deputy Media and Public Relations Officer of the Sierra Leone Correctional Service said, “Young ones, you have a long journey ahead. When you go out there, be careful not to get involved in activities that could land you in prison again.”
With utmost joy and gratitude, the four inmates expressed their deepest gratitude and appreciation to Madam Isha and her team for securing their release. They also promised not to be involved in any activities that could send them back to prison.
Admonishing the released young men, Yasmine Koroma, Legal representative for Fashion For Change cautioned and urged the four young releases men to abstain from crime as they are set to integrate back into the society. She continued by urging them to use this moment of grace to work positively and for a brighter future.
Releasing the inmates is not the end of Madam Isha’s generosity. Her Fashion For Change and Football For Reforms initiatives promised to incorporate the four young men in the upcoming CAF Licence D Coaching course at the Centre. A follow-up of their lives as free men is also said to be in place.
