By Sorie Ibrahim Fofanah
The Inspector -General of Police (IGP), William Fayia Sellu has confirmed that Former President Ernest Bai Koroma is a suspect in the investigation of the November 26 failed Coup.
Speaking at the government’s weekly press briefing on 12th December this year, IGP said that the former two-term President is part of eighty suspects in their custody at the time of the report. Analyzing the suspects' list, Sellu said fifty of them are current military officers, five dismissed military officers, seven Sierra Leone Police (SLP) personnel in active service, one retired senior police officer, fifteen civilians, one prison officer, and former president Koroma.
He noted that they have obtained statements from sixty-eight of the suspects and that some among the sixty-eight have made statements twice, saying those statements have been submitted to the Office of the Attorney General. The IGP said they have twelve more suspects to question.” We are still having a good number on the run,” he added.
Speaking about the invitation of former president, Ernest Bai Koroma to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Sellu said he requested that for his safety he would need enough state security which he said was provided.
“As long as we have administered a voluntary caution statement in our police station, you are a suspect” Sellu confirmed.
On granting bail to Koroma, he said they accorded “respect” to him by allowing him to be in the confines of his property, noting that other suspects are in police cells. “We can’t put him in a cell. So, we granted him bail but with certain conditions,” he added, saying all the conditions given to the former president were agreed upon by his lawyers and some of his party members.
Sellu said the former president reports at the CID for questioning as required by the police.
Giving an update about the missing weapons at the Wilberforce barrack armory that were carted away by the assailants on the November 26 attempted coup, the Minister of Information and Civic Education, Chernor Bah mentioned forty-seven AK47 rifles, seven RPGS and empty magazines.
Bah said twenty-nine of the forty-seven AK47 riffles have been retrieved by the security forces, noting eighteen of the AK47s are yet to be retrieved.
“Seven RPGS were taken,” he said, adding the authorities have recovered five.
Copyright © 2023 Politico (15/12/23)
