By Bobor Dan Kamara
The Sierra Leone Police (SLP), in a press statement dated 21st October 2024, countered a letter signed by the Secretary General of the All People’s Congress (APC) party accusing the Government of pressuring the SLP to prolong the detention of the APC supporters in its custody.
The press statement averred that the deployment of the SLP within the vicinity of the APC HQ on Tuesday, 15th October, 2024, was centered on request by the Secretary General of the Party, citing that a faction of the Party (Samura Kamara’s supporters) was planning to disrupt their meeting with the joint delegation of International guarantors.
It further averred that while deployed at the aforesaid place, some group of people behaved themselves in a disorderly manner with a clear riotous intent which contravenes the Public Order (amendment) Act 2020 that led to their the arrest, detention, and investigation at the Criminal Police Department (CID).
The press statement further stated that the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, on Wednesday 16th October 2024, denounced the behaviour of the arrested individuals who were aiming at disrupting the business of the day and further claimed that they are not APCians.
The SLP expressed its uttermost surprise that the said letter is complaining that detention of their party members had been prolonged.
It clarified that the arrest, detention, and investigation of the said suspects within the periphery of the Party’s headquarters were initiated by the police and not in any way the government of Sierra Leone.
