By Francis H. Murray
The Independent Police Complaints Board (IPCB) has cleared a police officer who shot at a civilian at the residence of the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Lahai Lawrence Leema, of any wrongdoing.
The incident in February left Alie Sajah Foster seriously injured.
A report on the outcome of the IPCB investigation which was unveiled at a press briefing on Wednesday states the officer, Aiah Fengai, acted with “extreme restraint” and “professionalism”.
IPCB is an “independent” body responsible to conduct investigations in response to complaints from the public against police officers. The body is directly under the purview of the Internal Affairs Ministry.
Foster and two other suspects involved in the shooting incident are in detention, facing charges of conspiracy to murder the deputy minister. They have been arraigned in court twice and denied bail since their arrest on the same day of the incident.
According to Richard Freeman, Chairman of the IPCB, narrated part of their findings.
"The police officer used pepper spray to spray the leading assailant, but that did not deter them, rather they regrouped and branding stones and cutlasses still advanced towards the police officer who warned them verbally before making a warning shot. The irate boys failed to heed the warning shot and Alie Sajah Foster, the bravest in the group, advanced and grabbed the weapon of the police, trying to snatch it away. In the struggle, the police officer gained strong hold of his weapon and shot Alie Sajah Foster in the foot. Upon seeing their main man down, the other irate boys withdrew, shouting that the police officer had killed Foster who was lying wounded on the ground."
Freeman said the police also acted professionally by not allowing the boys to take their own man to the hospital and calling an ambulance instead.
The incident which happened on the 1st of February at Leema’s Juba residence, provoked outrage among many members of the public.
The IPCB started the investigation on the 3rd of February after orders from the Head of Professional Standards in the Sierra Leone Police.
It is not uncommon in Sierra Leone for officers to shoot civilians. The force has a history of shooting indiscriminately and a poor record of handling protests and riots.
As part of its recommendation, the IPCB said: “Police Officer P. C 15756 Fengai A. be commended for displaying extreme restraint and acting professionally by diffusing an imminent threat to his life and that of the Deputy Minister and his family members."
The lawyer representing Foster and the other two accused, Rashid Dumbuya, said he would respond once they finish reading the report.
The report is sure to strengthen the position of the state in court against Foster and his fellow accused.
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