The Sierra Leone Police has responded adequately to some newspaper reports about inhumane treatment against Sierra Leone police officers who just returned from a peace peacekeeping mission in Somalia.
According to police sources, the above mentioned officers were not detained nor held against their will as alleged by the newspapers. Rather the said officers are doing their normal police job as expected. โIt is a normal routine for incoming officers from a peacekeeping mission to serve in the operation division for months before proceeding to their next area of deployment in the country,โ an AIG at police headquarters said.
He also said that โthey said officers are deployed in different parts in Freetown along with other officers from different parts of the country who have been in Freetown for a longer period before they arrived from Sumalia to augment their colleagues to keep the city and its environed safe and peacefulโ.
Speaking to a police officer at police headquarters at George Street, he said, โWe are here doing our normal police work as expected of us as you can see we are in high spirits to protect lives and properties and keep the peace in the city professionally and we are being provided with three square sumptuous meal daily since we were deployed hereโ he concluded.
On the issue of the said officers not receiving their allowance since they returned from Somalia, A senior Police Officer said, โThe missionโs assessment team is presently in town to process their two months bag log allowance that is yet to be paid to their accounts as all other allowances have been paid to themโ.
Speaking to a Police media officer at Police Headquarters, he said โOur doors are always open to the press to clarify whatever information they have instead of peddling false information to the public about security personnel at this point when we are busy maintaining peace and calm in the countryโ.
