Special Court for Sierra Leone
The Office of the Prosecutor

PRESS RELEASE
Freetown, Sierra Leone, 4 February 2003

Special Court Prosecutor Visits Port Loko: Investigations to Continue

The Prosecutor for the Special Court for Sierra Leone David M. Crane provided residents of Port Loko today with an update on his criminal investigations of those who bear the greatest responsibility. "We are working hard to put together our cases. Significant progress has been made since our arrival. I am pleased to announce that my team of investigators could complete their investigations by June of this year," said Crane.

The Prosecutor and his staff have been holding community meetings in various parts of the country since August of last year to solicit views on how he should undertake his mandate of prosecuting those who bear the greatest responsibility for violations of international humanitarian law committed during the country's decade-long civil war. So far he has visited eleven out of Sierra Leone's twelve districts

Later this week, the Prosecutor is scheduled to make the second in a series of diplomatic missions in support of his work. Travelling to Europe and North America, Crane will hold talks with senior government officials and human rights leaders regarding cooperation and coordination with his office. Additional trips are planned for late-February and throughout March.

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