By Saidu Bangura
Tounkara Alex Conteh, a young Sierra Leonean, has reportedly been declared wanted by the Sierra Leone Police over a series of Facebook posts in which he allegedly criticised the government of President Retired Brigadier Julius Maada Bio. According to information gathered by this medium from family members and other sources, police officers have been searching for Conteh following several social media posts.
Sources claimed that the authorities believe he used the platform to incite members of the public against the government. The sources further alleged that after failing to locate Tounkara Alex Conteh, police officers arrested his father, Pa Sallu A. Conteh, at the family’s residence in Waterloo and took him to a police station in an attempt to obtain information regarding his son’s whereabouts.
Speaking to this medium, Mariama Jalloh, a neighbour of the family, claimed that a vehicle carrying more than five police officers arrived at the residence in search of Tounkara Alex Conteh. She alleged that when the officers were unable to find him, they took his father into custody, believing that he knew where his son was hiding. Another family member, Alusine Conteh, also alleged that several relatives of Tounkara Alex Conteh have been subjected to harassment and intimidation in connection with the ongoing search.
However, these claims could not be independently verified at the time of publication, as repeated efforts to obtain comments from the Sierra Leone Police were unsuccessful. As of press time, the Sierra Leone Police had not issued an official statement explaining the reported declaration of Tounkara Alex Conteh as a wanted person or the alleged arrest of his father.
Attempts by this medium to obtain comments from the police and other relevant authorities were unsuccessful. The reported incident has generated concern among some citizens and civil society observers, who argue that freedom of expression, including the right to express opinions on matters of public interest, is protected under Sierra Leone’s Constitution.
They have called on the authorities to ensure that due process is followed in addressing any allegations related to online speech and to respect the rights of all individuals while carrying out law enforcement activities.
