What has come out clear in the just released report by the Special Investigation Committee (SIC) appointed by His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio is that the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Lahai Lawrence Leema deliberately ignored the Committee by not responding to their request.
The Committee was appointed by President Bio on the 24th August 2022 in order to investigate the incidents of the 8th, 9th and 10th August which resulted to violent protests during which lives were lost and properties were destroyed.
The Committee was charged with the responsibility to investigate who were the organisers, planners and funders of the protests, identify the root causes and make recommendations to the Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL) on what needs to be done to prevent a re-occurrence of such incidents.
The Chairman of the Committee, Dr. Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai Esq. maintained that despite attempts made to get the Deputy Minister to respond to their request by way of letters and call, he refused to grant them audience.
“Lahai Lawrence Leema did not present himself to the SIC despite repeated attempts made to have him provide answers to the Committee,” the reported stated.
That the Committee had wanted to get clarification from him with regards to claims that he made night patrols after the insurrection and during curfew hours in which said patrols, various human rights violations and extra-judicial killings were allegedly committed.
“SIC concluded that as a Minister of State, his refusal to meet with the Committee was disparaging and manifested unbridled impunity,” the Committee said.
That consequently, all the allegations against him could not be refuted by him.
