By Kemo Cham
Sierra Leone’s former Minister of Defense, Major (Rtd) Alfred Paolo Conteh, is under investigation over weapons possession, police say.
Conteh is suspected of carrying an undeclared weapon into State House, the office of the president, a police spokesman told Politico.
Assistant Superintendent Samuel Saio Conteh said the former minister was being investigated on allegations that he failed to declare his licensed weapon before entering State House.
He said Paolo Conteh was first questioned by agents of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) on Thursday.
A statement from the head of the CID said the weapon was loaded with 10 live rounds of ammunition.
On Friday social media was awash with speculation about the exact detail of the incident. Supporters of Paolo Conteh claimed he was arrested and questioned at the CID, while other reports indicated that he was questioned within the premises of State House.
While dismissing suggestions that he was arrested, the police spokesman couldn’t confirm where exactly Thursday’s questioning took place.
Paolo Conteh was again at the CID on Friday, to give further statement.
“As I am talking to you now, he is currently at the CID giving further statement,” said Supt Conteh, in a telephone interview from the CID headquarters.
Major Paolo Conteh, a senior member of the main opposition All People’s Congress, served at various levels in the cabinet of former President Ernest Bai-Koroma from 2007 to 2018, notably as Deputy Defense Minister, Internal Affairs Minister and then Defense Minister.
But he came to international limelight as head of the National Ebola Response Center during the deadly 2014-2016 West African Ebola outbreak. It was in that former capacity that on Tuesday Paolo was invited by President Julius Maada Bio to lend his experience to the government’s response to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic.
Thursday was his second visit to State House as part of this Initiative.
Paolo couldn’t be reached for a comment. But other reports have cited him saying he had declared his pistol at the entrance of the State House.
Superintendent Conteh said the CID was investigating to find out the veracity of that claim.
“The weapon is licensed, as per the findings of the CID through the Small Arms Commission. The question is whether or not he declared it to the security before entering State House,” the police spokesman said, refusing to comment further on how long he would be at the CID.
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