By Mohamed Foday Conteh
The Sierra Leone Union on Disability Issues (SLUDI) together with other disabled groups in Sierra Leone have called for the dismissal of former Local Unit Commander (LUC) Waterloo Division, Superintendent Musa Gbandagbla.
This clarion call was made in a press release issued on 23rd December 2021 after a court verdict that ruled in favour of four disabled persons that were dragged to court by the Sierra Leone Police for riotous conduct.
Head of SLUDI, Santigie Kargbo said the entire issue between them and the police started over a piece of land that was provided to them by the Government to ensure that they move away from the streets of the city. He said the land was grabbed by a certain Habib Thorpe identified as the Regional Chairperson of the Sierra Leone People’s Party Western Area Rural District.
Kargbo stressed that on the 17th January this year, members of a disabled group called House of Jesus went to the said land to check when they were asked to leave the plot. He claimed when they tried to enquire as to the reason for that, the police descended on them and started beating them.
He added that some of the members of the group were arrested and detained at the Police Divisional Headquarters and when he went to bail them, they refused and later transferred the arrested persons to Ross Road Police where they spent the night.
He stated that it was the Minister of Social Welfare, Lawyer Nye-Cuffie and other advocacy groups that came to their aid while in police custody.
Executive Director of Dorothy Springer Trust, Dr. Abdulai Dumbuya said the police did not only harass disabled on that fateful day but also brought up bogus charges against four of their members.
“Justice will always prevail,” Dr. Dumbuya said in reacting to the verdict.
He added that justice was served and that all the evidences provided by the prosecutor were mere claims. He said the police were trying to defend what seems to be indefensible.
The Executive Director made a vivid presentation of videos that were recorded by onlookers when the incident occurred in January.
The Magistrate who did the preliminary investigations of the four charges brought up against four members of the disabled group, Magistrate W.H.M. John said there is insufficient evidence and also found inconsistencies with police witnesses.
She added that it will be irrational to return a guilty verdict for the four accused.
The accused were brought to court by the police for riotous conduct, disorderly behaviour, malicious damage and obstruction.
After the verdict, the disabled group said that the police should publicly apologise to them, pay compensation for damages caused and destruction of reputation of the four persons as well as dismissal of Superintendent Gbandagbla from the force.
They also asked that the land in question be returned to them as their rightful property that was taken by force by the community people of Waterloo and their Councillor.
Meanwhile, sources reaching Politico said that the LUC has long been transferred to Kono after the incident.
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