By: Ilyasa Baa
A team of investigators from the Office of the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice has been dispatched to Makeni to gather information with regards August 10 unrest that led to the killing of dozens of civilians and six police officers.
In Makeni, over ninety arrests were made and suspects were detained in Freetown. Five out of the twenty – four juveniles arrested came from Makeni.
The team is expected to conduct interviews and gather evidence which will be used to charge the suspects before a competent court of law.
They have already started the process of conducting a series of interviews with witnesses across the city. “The team of investigators is not going to make an arrest or witch-hunt people but gather first-hand information to get a clear story of what took place on 10th August”, a senior team member informed this medium.
After the investigation, the team will submit its findings to the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice of the Republic of Sierra Leone for appropriate action to be taken either by charging those involved or releasing those who were not found wanting. The investigators will proceed to Kamakwei and Magburaka on their evidence-gathering drive.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the district including the SLPP party Chairman have called on residents to cooperate with the investigation.
It could be recalled that people were involved in an unlawful protest in August, plunging some parts of the country (APC strongholds) into unrest and loss of properties worth millions of Leones. Businesses and government infrastructure were attacked, allegedly by the protesters.
The government of Dr. Julius Maada Bio, expressing their condolences to the families of the officers killed, has given each bereaved family the sum of Le100 million (old currency) plus a befitting state funeral.
