H.E President Julius Maada Bio
State House
Freetown
Sierra Leone
7th June 2021
Dear Sir,
I very recently wrote to you concerning your constitutional and legal duty to protect and preserve the lives of your people with specific reference to Mr Tommy (Tito) Gbandewa of Black Johnson Beach, Western Peninsula.
In my letter I asked you to intervene personally to secure Mr Gbandewa's safety and security.
Today I hear that a contingent of armed police/military officers arrived in Black Johnson village, the day before yesterday, with a message that Mr Gbandewa must present himself to a police station today 7th June 2021.
Mr Gbandewa was informed by the village Headman, Mr Lamin Kargbo (Pa Lamin) that these police were acting on behalf of someone known in Sierra Leone as Lawyer Gooding.
This show of force in responding to a peaceful civil dispute beggars belief. It is evidence of a total disregard of the rule of law.
There are three possible alternatives as to why this happened and why armed police were sent to deliver this message.
1. The police are taking orders to send an armed unit from a private individual, without the appropriate legislative authority.
2. The order to send an armed unit to demand (an) individual(s) attend a police station came with the full authority of the government and police authority.
3. The decision to send armed police in relation to a civil matter was unauthorised and shows a disregard to due procedure which amounts to a dangerous level of indiscipline within the police service.
Regardless of who is dishing out such an order, sending armed men to deal with civil matters is totally unacceptable, unlawful and unconstitutional.
My earlier letter to you said I would ensure any threat or harm caused by your inaction would cause me to bring this to the attention of the international communities of governments, the World Bank, the Tony Blair Institute, the EU, USAid and other interested NGO's and associations. I am now going to add Amnesty International because this is a matter of a Sierra Leonean citizen´s personal security.
The actions of armed police/military in these circumstances is more than serious enough for me to carry out that promise. Only you as President has the authority to order armed forces against your own people. I hope that you have not have not authorised this unnecessary action.
In order to rectify this abuse by your forces you must take immediate action.
1. You must start an immediate investigation as to how this situation came about.
2. The police officers concerned must be suspended from active duty whilst this investigation is being conducted.
3. It is incumbent upon you to use all possible media outlets to make public statements, vocal and written to expressly condemn such police action.
Yours sincerely
Billy Tonner
Hertfordshire
England
Support the judicial review here www.crowdfunder.co.uk/save-black-johnson-beach