Published: August 13, 2025
Gbarnga, Bong County — The Resident Judge of the Ninth Judicial Circuit, Boimah Kontoe, has expressed concern about extreme overcrowding at the Gbarnga Central Prison, stating that the facility is housing far more inmates than it was designed for, with pretrial detainees outnumbering convicted prisoners.
Kontoe said that more than 400 people are currently detained at the prison, which was built to hold only 130. An assessment by the Director of the Regional Justice and Security Hub found that about 249 of those in custody are pretrial detainees, many jailed for minor offenses such as simple assault, without having been prosecuted.
He noted that the court docket is overwhelmed with what he described as a “colossal” number of cases, including contract, tort, property, commercial, labor, probate, and other indictable offenses, but prosecutions remain slow. Kontoe attributed the delays to a shortage of prosecuting attorneys in the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court.
“As you may recall, during the period of 2014–2017, when there were at times more than two prosecuting attorneys assigned to the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court, the disposition of cases was often expeditious,” he said, urging the Ministry of Justice to assign more lawyers to assist Bong County Attorney Cllr. Jonathan Flomo and his deputy, Cllr. Adolphus B. Brown.
Call for More Courts
Kontoe also criticized the limited number of magisterial courts in Bong County, saying the shortage forces citizens to either travel long distances for hearings or rely on alternative forums, such as local chiefs’ offices and mob justice, which he said undermines the rule of law.
“Persons seeking justice either incur huge costs traveling from far distances to the courts. With the use of alternative forums, criminal cases are most times compromised or miscarriages of justice result,” Kontoe said.
He urged the Ministry of Justice to add more courts in Bong, as the county is underserved. For example, he highlighted that Grand Kru County, with a population about four times smaller, has 12 judicial circuit courts and 28 magisterial courts.
However, his call for new courts faced criticism from civil society figures, including George Philip Mulbah, regional coordinator at the Justice and Peace Commission, who said the focus should be on rehabilitating existing judicial facilities. “We don’t need additional courts; let’s fix the existing ones,” Mulbah said.
Appointments Needed
Kontoe also urged for the appointment of judges to the Debt, Tax, Traffic, and Juvenile Courts in Bong County, stating that the ongoing delays obstruct access to quick and affordable justice.
He argued that his proposals align with Goal 16 of the Sustainable Development Goals, which promotes peace, justice, and strong institutions.
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