By Morlai Sesay
The Sierra Leone Inspector General of Police William Fayia Sellu, has officially announced that 80 suspects are under investigation including ex-president Kororma for the November 26th attempted ousting of His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio. Sellu made the foregoing announcement during a press conference at the Ministry of Information and Civic Education on Tuesday, December 12, 2023.
In what proved to be a shock to the gathering, Koroma's daughter, Madam Danke Koroma, who is currently residing in London, was also labeled a wanted suspect in the alleged plot. According to Inspector General Sellu, she is among the 80 individuals presently under investigation.
The investigation encompasses an extensive array of individuals, including 50 currently serving military officers, 5 dismissed military officers, 7 active Sierra Leone Police personnel, 1 retired senior police officer, 15 civilians, 1 Correctional Service personnel, and the former President. Except for Koroma, who is under strict house arrest due to his former presidential status, all other suspects are currently detained at the Criminal Investigations Department in Freetown.
In addition to the detained suspects, Sellu revealed that all serving personnel implicated in the alleged coup had been dismissed and are now awaiting criminal prosecution. He also indicated that 68 out of the current 80 suspects had given statements, which had been forwarded to the Office of the Attorney General given the substantial evidence obtained so far.
In response to queries regarding the timeline for Koroma's investigation, Sellu stated, "Investigation of former President Koroma will last as long as they get to the end of the investigation, which might take one or two weeks as the case might be."
As for the remaining 12 suspects, he said they are yet to be interrogated, cautioned, and interviewed. He added that the police force is offering a cash reward of Le:50,000,000 (Fifty Million old Leone) for useful information leading to the arrest of the remaining assailants.
Speaking about the amount of weapons recovered and those outstanding, the Minister of Information and Civic Education Chernor Bah, disclosed that 47 AK47s were carted away, while 29 AK47s were recovered and 18 AK47s are outstanding. He further revealed that 7 RPGs were stolen, 5 recovered and 2 RPGs are outstanding. Bah also noted that 100 empty magazines were stolen and they are still out there.
The Minister of Information and Civic Education, Chenor Bah, concluded his speech by expressing his profound gratitude to the public for their continued cooperation and urged all to prioritize the country's interests. Despite public curiosity about the ongoing investigation and the timeline for prosecution, he underscored that the police had been praised for maintaining the confidentiality of the process at the highest of standards.
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