By Sorie Ibrhaim Fofanah
A Government press release dated 25 March 2024 has stated that Abubakarr Boxx Konteh is to be extradited to Sierra Leone for his alleged role in last year’s failed coup.
According to the release, a joint operation between the Guinean authorities and the Sierra Leone security apparatus apprehended Konteh at the Guinea airport in an attempt to flee to Senegal, after being in hiding since the failed coup.
According to the release, Konteh will be extradited to Sierra Leone for questioning by the Sierra Leone Police, noting that “Mr. Konteh is suspected of providing materials in the planning, execution and escape/hiding of the executors of the failed November 26, 2023 coup,” and that he is also suspected of being involved in the trade of illegal substances like Kush and others.
Reacting to concerns from some members of the public as to why Konteh was being arrested when his name was not mentioned in the wanted list of people who allegedly played role in the November 26 failed court that was published by the SLP last year, the Minister of Information and Civic Education, Chernor Bah, at the government weekly press briefing, confirmed that Konteh has indeed been arrested by the Guinean authorities, saying persons whom the SLP deemed as suspects will be arrested irrespective of whether their names were being mentioned in the wanted list or not.
“The law does not go by the list. Every day, based on intelligence, the SLP will determine who were involved in the November 26 failed coup. Just because your name was not mentioned in the wanted list doesn’t mean that the law will not go after you,” he emphasised.
He further noted that Konteh is innocent until he is proven guilty by the court and that all those who had been earlier arrested are suspects until the law proves them otherwise.
Speaking about Kush, Bah went on to say the state is acting to address the issue and that there would be a town hall meeting next week where local authorities, the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Sierra Leone Police, Parliament, the Judiciary, activists, civil society, among others, will meet to discuss how to combat the deadly drug.
On 26th November 2023, a group of militants attacked several locations in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone. The country was subsequently placed under a nationwide curfew, with a manhunt being declared.
Copyright © 2024 Politico (28/03/24)
