- 75 Charged To Court
- Hundreds Languish In Police Cells
- More APC Big Guns Declared Wanted
The Sierra Leone Police have, in a hurriedly convened press conference, told the press that they arrested hundreds of Sierra Leoneans including women and children in the last Friday skirmishes at the APC party headquarters in Freetown.
The Police, in a very low key press conference attended by some senior personnel of the Force with selected press houses in the country, noted that the purpose of the conference was to throw light on the skirmishes at the APC office following the High Court ruling involving sixteen Members of Parliament.
The Director of Crime Services, AIG Brima Jah, told journalists that they have 117 APC supporters in their custody and that seventy-five have been charged to court.
Cornelius Deveaux, wanted
He continued that 36 of these individuals were released after thorough screening. The Crime Services Director added that six APC big guns, including Bai Mamud Bangura, Mohamed Bangura, Lansana Fadika, Hon Bash Conteh and Femi Mansaray, were arrested on Friday and released on Monday pending investigations.
The Director of Crime Services downplayed the brutality and unprofessionalism displayed by the Police, and soared praises on what he referred to as proportionate use of force with no recorded death. The Police could not respond to the several and widespread outpouring of condemnations on the manner in which they acted. Various political parties, civil society organizations, the Human Rights Commission and the press have tendered in condemnations.
Photos Credit: AYV
The excessive use of force by the Sierra Leone Police, the firing of hundreds of teargas canisters on defenseless citizens and senior party officials, on Friday, was exposed to the whole world as videos of the unprofessional behaviour of the Operational Support Division personnel went viral across the world. AYV and Star Televisions Stations also broadcasted the shameful act live.
The Director of Community Affairs, AIG Kalia Sesay, noted that the emergency briefing was meant to provide the public with the response of the SLP after close to 72 hours when the incident happened.
He maintained that they have earlier on summoned a meeting with APC big guns on Thursday after they saw social media postings in which the party declared Red Thursday and Friday. The Police disclosed that they discussed the security threat the party’s release might cause and this also led to originate a release cautioning the party.
AIG Brima Jah also told newsmen that they have evidences that Mr. Cornelius Deveaux, Publicity Secretary of the APC, had incited supporters of his party to go on the rampage, leading to the wounding of six police officers. He alleged that teargas canisters fired from the APC crowd were different from the ones used by the Police officers at the scene.
Against this vein, the Police declared Cornelius Deveaux wanted and a price of five million leones staked for his arrest.
Authorities at Police Headquarters have turned a blind eye to the several concerns raised by civil society organizations over the unprofessional manner in which they have handled supporters at the party office and have continued to arrest and declare more APC supporters wanted on orders from above.
We are reliably informed that, among the hundreds who are incarcerated at the CID, many are in need of medical attention after sustaining wounds.
Kandeh Yumkella of the NGC and Femi Claudius Cole of the Unity Party were reported to have made efforts to broker peace, but this has failed and the exuberant Police command are bent on making more arrests and incarcerations. How will this resonate with the establishment of the Peace Commission?