By Amin Kef (Ranger)
During the usual Press Conference that was convened by the Sierra Leone Police on the 24th January ,2023 at the Police Headquarters on George Street in Freetown newsmen were updated on major issues that the Police dealt with or is currently dealing with.
The Police informed that 6 QNET Officials were charged to Court over allegations of Obtaining Money from Sierra Leoneans by means of false pretenses.
AIG Aiah Edward Samadia, the Regional Commander Freetown East intimated the Press that over 200 Sierra Leoneans were arrested on Friday January 20, 2023 in a building at No. 56 City Road, Wellington Freetown, after personnel of the Kissy Police Division responded to a distress call, that claims that a house was on the verge of being set ablaze by some irate Sierra Leoneans.
Investigations later proved that the over 200 irate Sierra Leoneans alleged to have been defrauded by an institution called QNET.
However, the arrested Sierra Leoneans were later released while 6 QNET officials were charged to court for various fraud related offences.
Additionally, AIG Brima Jah, Director Crime Services, who doubled as the Chairman of the Press Conference advised the public to beware of such institutions that are established in the guise of creating quick wealth for Sierra Leoneans. He emphasized that such institutions that come with schemes of short cut to wealth are merely fake.
Another issue that the Police highlighted was that they arrested three (3) persons with some quantity of suspected free health care drugs.
The Head of Media, Public Relations and Sport, ACP Brima Kamara (Media One) updated the press that on Tuesday January 24, 2023, Police attached to Madamaya Checkpoint, along the Sierra Leone-Guinea highway in Kambia Division arrested the following persons with some quantity of free healthcare drugs: Saffie Alie of Jalloh Terrace in Freetown, Aminata Kanu of Deep Eye Water, Waterloo, Adama Kamara of Ojuku Junction in Freetown.
The above mentioned persons were arrested while in possession of the following drugs suspected to be free healthcare drugs: 1,035 boxes of Artesunate Tablets, 468 packets of Atramat Tablets, 30 boxes of Artesunate injections, 252 surgical sutures, 180 black braided silks and 7,000 Albendazole Tablets.
According to the Police, the said arrested persons are in Police custody assisting with the investigations.
An update was given on 2 Suspects arrested for unlawfully possessing 420 Free Quality Education Text Books.
Media One informed journalists that on Sunday January 22, 2023, Police Personnel attached to the Madamaya Checkpoint along the Sierra Leone – Guinea Highway Kambia Division intercepted a vehicle with Registration No. RC7609C driven by one Amza Jalloh and discovered a total of four hundred and twenty (420) Free Quality Education text books.
The driver/suspect claimed that the books were handed to him by one Sajor Barrie of Kono District for delivery to the Republic of Guinea. However, the said Sajor Barrie of Kono has also been arrested and both suspects are in police custody assisting with the investigations.
According to the Police a Tourist was arrested while trying to smuggle millions of Old Leones from Sierra Leone.
Detective Joshua Moisa, a representative from CID Headquarters told journalists that on Sunday January 20, 2023, at the Lungi International Airport, a combined team of personnel from the Sierra Leone Police (SLP), the Office of National Security (ONS) and the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) arrested one Dieter Alfred Eheim, a German National in possession of Eighty Two Million Old Leone (Le 82, 000,000) notes and eight (8) parcels of Liberian Coins.
According to the suspect, he came to Sierra Leone as a tourist on the 16th January 2023 and during his stay, he withdrew the sum of one thousand five hundred Euros (€ 1,500) using his visa card, which he changed into Leones to have acquired the alleged amount of money. The tourist/suspect, further said that he was making enquiries as to whether he could be permitted to travel with such amount of the Leone currency and he was arrested in the process.
Detective Inspector Moisa assured journalists that the investigation is ongoing and that the Press would be duly updated on the outcome of the investigation.
In another development, on behalf of Men and Women of the Sierra Leone Police (SLP), the Inspector General of Police (IGP), William Fayia Sellu on Tuesday January 24, 2023, in his office at Police Headquarters, George Street in Freetown, received some quantity of items comprising blankets, flashy aprons, facemasks and sanitizers from CARITAS –FREETOWN.
During the presentation of the items, Rev. Fr. Peter Konteh, the Director of Caritas Freetown expressed grave satisfaction over the work of the SLP which he said was the key reason that prompted his organization to make such a donation.
He also expressed sad feelings on how negative people always perceive the Police. He said many a time people do not care to ask about the welfare or well-being of our Police Officers.
“We thought the SLP is an important Institution that deserves our support in reciprocation to the service they render to ensure that we sleep soundly at night in a secured environment. We thought these items could help our Police Officers working in difficult environments or communities. This is just a symbolic gesture to show that we are concerned about what the SLP is doing and to ensure that we motivate you to always work assiduously in order to ensure that our environments and communities are always secured”.
While conveying his appreciation for the donated items, the Inspector General of Police said that throughout his years of service in the SLP, he had hardly seen circumstances where people would appreciate the Police for what they do. He further said that welfare issues in the SLP are key and are a major challenge. “For you to think about our officers who are deployed under very difficult circumstances is laudable. We want you to always count on us for the better,” IGP Sellu concluded.
