By Ragan M. Conteh
The Member of Parliament from Bombali District, Hon Mamoud Kalokoh, has stated that it would appear the Cybercrime Bill is targeting social media users like Adebayor and others.
Hon Kalokoh stated that the Cyber bill, if passed into law, will target the critics of President Julius Maada Bio’s regime.
He said politicians, both past and present, have invoked sections of the notorious Public Order Act that criminalized libel to suppress free speech and the press. Several sections of that Act were repealed in 2020.
The proposed cyber-crime legislation, that have been subjected to the Legislative Committee in Parliament by president Bio’s government, is even more punitive than the Public Order Act (POA).
Many Sierra Leoneans say, whereas POA’s maximum sentence is two years, the Cyber-crime bill allows for sentences of up to five years for actions deemed “cyber-crimes.”
The bill considers, if passed, everyone is a potential target for criminalization of speech if the ruling party deems one’s online contents offensive.
Digitization has been a huge boost to Sierra Leoneans in recent years, making new spaces available online to freely express and share sensitive views and information on the country’s political and socio-economic issues.
But Sierra Leone’s current laws on free speech, in digital spaces, do not adequately protect citizens from targeted harassment or arbitrary threats and arrests.
Parliament proposed the bill after a series of violent incidents last year that were sparked by social media messages.
It intends to offer clarity regarding cybercrime offenses and punishments and better handling of national security and crime in digital spaces.
As recent as last year, when violent incidents broke out in Tombo (a western fishing village) and Makeni (a northern city), the government quickly pointed to a social media personality known as ‘Adebayoh.’
Currently, based in the Netherlands, Adebayor is an outspoken opposition voice, who commands a large following within the country, particularly on WhatsApp.
Tombo and Makeni are both All People’s Congress (APC) opposition strongholds, where Adebayor felt villagers were being unfairly treated.
The nights before both incidents, Adebayor allegedly produced audio messages in which he called on youths to protest against decisions made by the ruling-party authorities.
In May 2019, Adebayor reportedly provoked Tombo youths to protest against authorities’ COVID-19 restrictions that limited fishing to only 15 boats out of over 400.
He allegedly claimed that the decision was politically motivated by ruling SLPP members to suppress APC supporters. Clashes resulted leaving two people dead.
Months later, Adebayor reportedly called on youths in Makeni to rebel against the Ministry of Energy’s decision to remove a standby one MW caterpillar generator from their city to another.
He allegedly told youths that they shouldn’t sit by and allow the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party to suppress the rights of APC supporters, the country’s main opposition party. The youth protest left five people dead and many more wounded.
In a bid to tackle the situation, the government proposed a Cyber security bill that would deter people from listening and sharing virulent messages like Adebayor. Those messages spread hate, incitement and invectives against ruling party politicians.
Hon Sahr Matthew Nyuma, Sierra Leone’s leader of government business in Parliament, warned (in August last year) that “everyone will be vulnerable if the country does not enact tough laws to deal with the situation.”
The Cybercrime Act 2020, covering common issues on cyber security laws and regulations, including cybercrime, applicable laws, preventing attacks, specific sectors, corporate governance, litigation, insurance and investigatory and police powers, has already passed the pre-Legislative Stage in Parliament.
Leader of the main opposition All People’s Congress Party, Hon Chernor Ramadan Maju Bah, described the bill as sensitive because it affects everyone.