By Mohamed T. Massaquoi
A row has broken out in the leadership of the Sierra Leone Police in the southern region over the alleged sale of a piece of land belonging to the force.
The Local Unit Commander (LUC) of the Jendema Division in Pujehun District, Chief Superintendent (CSP) Edward Yamba, is accused of selling the plot of land which is located within the Jendema Police quarters to a private businessman.
The head of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) at the Mano River Division, Guy Patrick Chico Lansana Bussu, raised the alarm.
CSP Yamba, who has denied selling the land, admitted allocating it to a businessman but said the gesture was meant to boost police community relations. He also said he had the clearance from the regional police chief, Assistant Inspector General (AIG) Kpr Saidu Kamara.
The issue has occasioned accusations and counter-accusations among the police leadership, with the AIG threatening action against the Crime Officer for speaking to the press on police matter and for putting him on the spot.
The piece of land is situated very close to the administrative building of the Police division. Construction have been going on for months now.
Bussu told Politico that the proximity of the new building itself constituted a security threat.
“The selling of the land is not just the problem, but its proximity to the administrative building is a very serious security threat to our intelligence meetings. Whatever we discussed in our office as security people will be heard by the people who will be occupying that building,” he said.
Businessman Mohamed Barrie confirmed to Politico that he was constructing a structure on the land, but he denied paying for it, noting that the plot of land was just three feet away from the main administrative building.
The Crime Officer said he had engaged Yamba to halt the construction work but that he didn’t listen.
“Initially when the construction of the building started, I was in Jendema and I immediately stopped the entire work knowing very well that it is against our mandate. But the moment I travelled out of the community for 10 days, the LUC instructed the businessman to continue work and before I came back the building construction was at wall height,” he said.
Bussu accused Barrie of attempting to bribe him to neutralize his opposition to the construction work.
Politico could not ascertain how much money was involved in the deal, amidst denial by both LUC Yamba and Mr Barrie that money changed hands for the piece of land.
Barrie, who trades in medicine and mobile money, insisted that the Police boss gave him the land free of cost and for temporary usage.
But according to Bussu, it was when he refused to take bribe that Barrie told him that Yamba had collected money from him for the land.
Also, in apparent contradiction to the LUC’s claim, Barrie admitted that the building was not a makeshift structure, but a concrete structure. And photos obtained by Politico confirmed same.
According to Yamba, he gave the piece of land to a community member as a way of helping the community. He also said he did so with the consent of authorities like the Paramount Chief and AIG Kamara.
An angry sounding LUC Yamba said on a telephone interview that he was sensible enough, given his rank in the force, to know how to handle matters like this.
“I am CSP. I am not a Sergeant or ASP and whatever thing I do I have to do it consciously,” he said, explaining why he took the decision.
“They were about to demolish houses here due to the road construction (Bo-Jendema road) and we are already wasting land. We are doing community policing, the people asked me to do them a favor. It’s not on permanent basis,” he said.
“How can I sell a police land when I am to provide security for it? I am not irrational as he (Bussu) is, I am mature” he added.
LUC Yamba went on to say that the Paramount Chief was also on the know about the situation.
“I am just from a meeting with the Paramount Chief and he is fully aware of the land issue,” he said.
But PC Mustapaha Jeange Massaquoi III of Sorogbeima Chiefdom, denied that he was aware of the development as the LUC put it.
We spoke to him moments after the interview with the LUC on Saturday January 18.
“I am not aware of what the LUC told you about the land and in fact I am in Freetown. He called me yesterday (Friday January 17) and tried to explain something to me but he was not clear,” Chief Massaquoi said on the phone.
“And in fact, why did he sell the police land to the businessmen? Oh! LUC did not do well,” the PC lamented.
Meanwhile, construction work was still ongoing on the land over the weekend. Mr Barrie himself confirmed to Politico that he was at wall height now with the project. He said he would be ready to exit the land at any time regardless of the amount of money he would have spent if required to do so.
Bussu, the Crime Officer, is worried that there were already questions from the community people about the police’s own integrity, if they could sell their own land without due process.
AIG Kamara admitted to Politico that LUC Yamba sought his consent before allocating the land to the businessman, noting that it was never sold.
The AIG, speaking to Politico on the phone from Bo, sounded furious in defense of CSP Yamba against the Crime Officer and threatened disciplinary action against the latter for his “malicious” action against his boss.
Kamara is particularly unhappy with Bussu for reaching out to the press without consulting him over the issue. He said there would have been no need for media intervention.
"Do you think the LUC can just take upon himself to sell government land that belongs to the police? Not even I the AIG can sell state land,” he said.
“In fact I am going to make sure they investigate the Crime Officer for not bringing the matter to me but to the press just to write negative things about the LUC,” he added.
AIG Kamara is however also disappointed with LUC Yamba for miss informing him about the nature of the building. He said he was told that Barrie was erecting a makeshift structure. He said he would take disciplinary measures against the LUC.
Copyright © 2020 Politico Online
