By Ralph Sesay
A release from the main Opposition All Peoples Congress Party dated 28 December, 2018 has informed the general public that the party will refuse to corporate with any ‘’kangaroo’’ Commission of enquiry until certain demands are met by the ruling Sierra Leone Peoples Party.
The release cited certain concerns raised by the country’s Bar Association, the umbrella body for lawyers in Sierra Leone and other civil society groups around the move by the government to use what they have described as legally flawed and unconstitutional instruments setting aside the rules of evidence and established legal principles as well as also excluding likely culpable SLPP supporters because of their tribes and political leanings.
The release went on to express their dismay over the exclusion of Permanent Secretaries who they have noted were chairmen of different procurement committees as well as vote controllers largely because they are aligned with certain tribes and regions.
The release has also expressed grave concern in expressing at the huge sackings of their party supporters in key government institutions across the country and called on such members to present their sack letters to the party secretariat as they are considering taking legal actions against such sackings.
The party secretariat has also urged all past APC ministers, deputy ministers and other government functionaries who held positions in the past APC government and had fled the country to return home.
The party expresses grave concerns that if any of these demands are not met they will have no option but not to take part in any commission of enquiry.
It will be recalled that the tabling of constitutional instruments 64,65 and 67 by the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Madam Priscilla Schwartz at the well of Parliament had been shrouded with a hue and cry from APC opposition members, civil society and some sections of the Sierra Leonean public for lacking very integral components in tandem with the rules of the high court.
The instruments have since passed into law after a very fierce debate from the opposition APC who had earlier on called for a nullification of the instruments.
Tensions continue to rise in the country as we approach the Commission of Enquiry set to commence in January,2019 as APC supporters have today staged demonstrations at the precincts of the Criminal Investigation Department in Freetown after the Country’s former Deputy Minister of Defence,Rtd Major Paolo Conteh was briefly detained after a long and protracted interview with the Anti Corruption Commission on Friday linking him with procurement irregularities relating to series of contracts he awarded whiles he was deputy Defense Minister.
Mr. Paolo Conteh as at press time was still been detained at the CID alongside former Director General of Defence Mr. Sana Marrah.
Nightwatch understands that these demonstrations will continue to on Monday 31 December, 2018 even when negotiations between senior party members and the Police are at an advanced stage to release Paolo Conteh on bail pending further investigations.
Information and Communications Minister, Mohamed Rado Swarray has at press time officially reacted to the main opposition’s press release calling it an attempt by the party to incite ethnic violence in the country at a time when the New Direction is trying very hard to position the country having achieved some huge milestones.
He informed all and sundry that the APC is not on trial and that the Bio led government is not trying to persecute anybody noting that commissions of enquiry are not strictly judicial tribunals as it is the case with Courts of Law.