By Abdulai Kargbo
Sierra Leone's Minister of Internal Affairs, Major General David Taluva, has revealed that in the first three months of 2024, his Ministry has recorded two hundred ninety-six (296) cases related to drugs in Sierra Leone, stating that others have been reminded while awaiting charges.
He made this statement during the national town hall meeting organized by the Ministry of Information and Civic Education on Tuesday, April 2nd, 2024, at the Bintumani International Conference Centre, on the general call to fight against Kush.
The Minister further stated that they have disrupted' with a great impact' the supply chain of the menace, stating that if the supply chain is drastically disrupted, the harmful substance (Kush) will be scarce in the market for drug dealers and consumers (victims).
"The Kush fight is a community fight, not only by police or government," Minister Taluva said while showering Parise on many of the community members across the country for providing the requisite information to authorities. He noted that, after the formation of the national task force announced by the Hon. VP, his ministry will provide toll-free lines.
In his statement, William Fayia Sellu, Inspector General of the Sierra Leone Police (SLP), said that police have a zero-tolerance policy in this fight. He stated that three police officers, one prison officer who was caught selling Kush within a prison facility, and a member of the Armed Forces of Sierra Leone had been charged in court. He added that ninety-nine (99) parcels of marshmallows have been confiscated, and investigations are on the way.
In his statement, the attorney general and Minister of Justice Mohamed Lamin Tarawallie stated that the Kush menace, despite its impact, should be handled in accordance with the laws of the land, the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. He further stated that the court has charged sixteen (16) people for Kush belated cases, but so far, it has not determined their various charges. He added that viewing the far-reaching impact of this Kush, they, at the judiciary, have tilted the sentence processes to make it graver. Custodian sentences on Kush are now calculated by a single day, not two days to one. All Kush-related cases are charged using a maximum of five years imprisonment under the National Drug Control Act of 2008.
Hon. Abdul Kargbo, the opposition leader in parliament, stated that when a country is faced with a moral crisis, party politics should be laid aside. He added that this was replicated in the Ebola and COVID pandemics. He added that the opposition is not an opponent of development but a proponent, affirming that they are willing to support the government in defeating Kush in the country.
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