Freetown, SIERRA LEONE – Following two days of interrogation at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), the police are enforcing new security measures around the former president.
Initially after being invited to come to the CID to help in the investigations into the “failed attempted coup” of November 26th, the former president requested for additional security to accompany him on his journey from Makeni to Freetown.
Even in Freetown the former President according to police sources requested that his security at his home be enhanced.
The former President was invited because several of his former bodyguards were active in the operations on Sunday November 26th 2023. Infact one of those killed “Leatherboot” was among his top security detail from 2007 on to 2018.
Security officials are concerned about these developments and are watching closely on how things would unfold in the coming days.
This has however left room for speculation, that the former President may likely be afraid or has lost the trust of his former and bodyguards who have been associated with the failed attempted coup and possibly even the present guards may be feeling a bit uneasy.
Other naysayers posit that it may be a clever ruse to demonstrate that if he is also feeling threatened by the actions of his former guards then it stands to reason that he cannot have supported them, and therefore the Police should not bother to continue questioning him as this action goes to prove his innocence.
Despite the speculations which are not supported by security officials, the police have now restricted the visitors to the Goderich residence to three for close family and three for others. Further and more troubling is that the former president is not allowed to leave the residence under any condition except to go to the CID for further interrogation on Monday.
It is now not clear how he has reacted to the new conditions, or whether he had demanded they be put in place given the stream of visitors that have been allowed to see him since he came back to Freetown. In such difficult situations it is possible he might have requested for some peace and quietness to ponder on the events and get his thoughts together, even as he faces the usually uncomfortable questioning by Police officers.
He had however stated upon receiving the summons from the police that he maintains an “open mind” and had initially praised the “professionalism” of the Police. It is important to note that police have not in any way indicated that the former president is involved with the failed attempted coup and that he is innocent of any speculation whatsoever up to this point. KXL/10/12/2023