The Director of Operations for the Sierra Leone Police (SLP) Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Mohamed Abu Braima says 66 alleged protesters believed to be partisans of the All People’s Congress (APC) have been arrested and charged for criminal offences.
The disclosure was made during the usual police press briefing at the Sierra Leone Police Headquarters on George Street in Freetown.
Jah could not clearly justify that those he alleged released the shots are ex-combatant housed by the APC Party, but he maintained that their policing is intelligence-based.
The protest by the APC was connected to concerns raised in respect of the conduct of Saturday polls, among other things, demanded for the disaggregated data from the Election Commission of Sierra Leone (ECSL).
The APC also challenged the election result management system, saying it is illegal and it is in breach of the country’s electoral laws.
However, the APC as a party had tried in vain to have these concerns addressed. A few days ago, the Political Party Registration Commission (PPRC) convened a meeting with both the ECSL and the APC Party to listen to the concerns raised by the APC and to get a response from the ECSL with regards to those concerns but, it is apparent that that meeting did not make any headway.
While the Chairperson of the PPRC was saying that tensions are a bit down after the two days dialogue, the APC Party issued its second press release notifying the SLP that they were going to do a peaceful march to the office of the electoral commission.
Consequently, they were met with resistance from the SLP who maintained that the APC failed to honor their invitation to discuss the manner in which they intended to carry on with the protest which resulted into chaos thereby witnessing the closure of shops and almost all businesses yesterday.
AIG Jah alleged that the APC Party, during their unlawful protest, have their “Ex-combatant’ released five shots clarifying, “The police did not release any shot, rather it is the Ex-combatants that are being housed at the APC Party office that shot at the police,”.
“Among the five shots, two of the bullets were from a pistol and three of the bullets were from AK 47 gun, but nobody was shot,” AIG Jah added.
Earlier yesterday, a video from the Ex-Mayor of Freetown, Yvonne Akie Sawyer made rounds on social media that police had shot and killed protesters but on the contrary, Jah described the claimed from the former Mayor as baseless, unfounded and misleading.
He gave a stern warning against those he alleged want to disturb the peace of the country, adding that they will be placed behind bars no matter their status adding, “We are prepared and we are resolved that those who obey the rule of law will have the full protection of the law, but those who are defiant will face the full force of law,” he went on.
The protest and shooting of citizens in central Freetown made the entire city seemed as a ghost town as even the courts could not function as scheduled.
It can be recalled that on Monday, the headquarters of the APC in Bo was burned down during a major campaign rally of the leading opposition political party, an action that is yet to be addressed by the police, but the police stated that the general security situation in Freetown and the North east is now calm.
When asked about the assurance of the possible holding of elections amidst the frequent attempts and threats of protests to disrupt the process, AIG Jah emphatically noted, the elections will be held on June 24, but for three days running now, there has been protest in the city center of Freetown and BO.
Weemon Jallahcole-Internews/FeJAL Newsroom fellow, reporting from Sierra Leone.
