Regional commander for prisons in the Western Area Monday dismissed speculations that one of the accused being held in the so-called cocaine case was dead.

Sanpha Bilo Kamara, however, confirmed that one of the detainees at the Pademba Road maximum prisons has died coincidentally.

"It is a false rumour. It was one of the convicted, one Usman Kamara, who died on Saturday. He was a convict at Pademba Road Prisons," said the regional commander.

Crispin-Fio Edwards, president of the Sierra Leone bar association and attorney for the defence connected with the cocaine matter, confirmed that he had heard the rumour and had asked the director of prisons who had also denied the claim.

The rumour that one of the accused was dead prompted Edwards to visit the prisons to confirm that his client has not passed away and to gather first-hand information on the health status of his client.

"I visited the prison and he (Alusaine Kamara) is alive and kicking. He will probably be in court on Wednesday." There have been numerous legal battles between the defence team and principle magistrate Deen Tarawallie of court No 1A over the need for the accused to seek medical treatment outside prisons.

The fifteenth accused in the case Alusaine Kamara collapsed while court was in session on the August 29, and has been at the centre of numerous applications for bail and transfer to a secure medical facility.

Each time the application for bail and transfer has been denied. According to Edwards the rulings have been without merit.

"The ruling given was out of place with our application. We applied that following the doctor's evidence the defendants should be taken out for medical treatment. We will apply for a transfer to another magistrate court." Following the latest denial for medical treatment the defence team held a walk-out protest and took the matter to the high court, presided over by Justice Konoyima.

Human Rights lawyer and director of legal services at the human rights commission in Freetown Vandie Nabie said if Alusaine Kamara were to die, having been denied access to proper medical care while in prison, the government would need to call an inquest into the matter.

"The state is under an obligation to house prisoners, if there was a death they would have to call an inquest," he said.