The Office of Former President of Sierra Leone, Ernest Bai Koroma, made a public statement on Saturday that all state security attached to the former president have been withdrawn.
The action raised public concerns and the former president is reported to have objected to the abrupt changes owing to the fact he was neither notified nor consulted prior to the changes.
According to the Special assistant to Former President Koroma, Sheriff Mahmud Ismail, the decision was made after a follow up meeting on Saturday afternoon 11th May, 2019, between the former President and the Brigade Commander North – Brigadier David Alpha – and the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) North – AIG Ambrose Michael Suvula.
“Both the Brigade Commander and the AIG informed the former President that while the state would not impose on him any security personnel that he did not approve of, their instructions were to withdraw the security detail currently attached to him contrary to Part III – Miscellaneous Retiring Benefits (13 -22) of The Pensions and Retiring Benefits of Presidents and Vice – Presidents Act No 2 of 1986”.
An official Memo was issued on Thursday, 9th May, 2019, by the Sierra Leone Police directing the withdrawal of the police security personnel attached to the former President as well as the deployment of a set of new personnel.
The Office of Former President said the former president had no prior information about the changes and only happened to know through social media.
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