By Steven Ngauja
The Kono District Council authorities have accused the leadership of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) in the district of interfering with police investigations thereby encouraging lawlessness.
The allegations were made in relation to a recent outbreak of violence which led to the torching of a police station.
John Trye, Deputy Chairman of Kono District Council, said Sia Elizabeth Tongu, chairperson of the SLPP Kono District and her deputy influenced officers at the Motema Police Station to release four people suspected of involvement in the violence.
The incident happened in Kayima chiefdom on 11 May. According to reports, skirmishes broke out during a musical show as part of commemoration of Bob Marley Night. As the situation became rowdy, personnel of the Operations Support Division, the paramilitary wing of the Sierra Leone Police, fired warning shots to disperse the rioting youths. But the firing proved less effective to restrain the violent youths who ended up burning a hurt that served as a station for the police.
The suspects were subsequently detained at the Motema Police Station in Koidu.
John Trye, who is a member of the dominant Coalition For Change (C4C) party in the district, told Politico that after several telephone calls, the SLPP chairperson sent her deputy, Sheik Abu Bakarr Koroma, to negotiate with the police for the immediate release of the suspects from police cells.
This, Mr Trye said, has caused the released suspects to brag about impunity.
“The suspects can go head and cause more violence and do away with it without any punitive measure meted to them,” he said.
Try spoke to Politico during a tour of the community where the incident happened.
According to the Council official, Sandor and Kayima chiefdoms were notorious flashpoints for violent crimes. He said he holds SLPP politicians and the Local Unit Commander responsible for whatever violence that takes place in the district henceforth.
Ms Tongu denied the allegations leveled against her when contacted by Politico. She said when she was informed of the detention of members of her party on charges of burning down a police hut, she instructed her deputy, Sheik Abu Bakarr Koroma, to represent her at the police station in an effort to secure their release on bail. She said they were successful because no evidence had been adduced against the suspects to demonstrate their guilt.
The Local Unit Commander at the Motema Police Division, Superintendent Augustine Kabia, confirmed that the suspects were released on bail after voluntary caution statements had been obtained from them and in the absence of evidence against them.
Kabia said throughout their investigation, there was no witness to offer evidence to substantiate the allegations made against the suspects, noting that the police were concerned about abusing the fundamental rights of the suspects.
The maximum detention period for any suspect in police custody is 72 hours for summary offences and 10 days for felonious crimes.
Superintendent Kabia also warned against the politicization of the police, saying politicians should the police out of their disagreements.
“The police should not be misled by politicians. Let them do their politics while we do our work,” he stressed.
© 2019 Politico Online
