Drama in Sierra Leone, as Major Parlor Conteh arrested , days after President Bio solicited his help to stop Coronavirus from entering country

In Sierra Leone, there is no end to political drama.  Just four days after he was called upon by President Maada Bio to help his government stop the corinavirus from entering Sierra Leone , in his capacity as the former coordinator of the National Ebola Response Committee under the All People’s Congress ( APC ) Government,  the former Minister of Defence, Major Parlor Conteh, has been detained at the Criminal Investigations Department ( CID ) ,  where he will likely spend the weekend , for allegedly taking a loaded pistol to State House to attend one of the coronavirus response meetings with President Bio.

 

 

 

As should be expected, supporters of the APC  are describing the incident as a set-up, while SLPP  supporters are hailing the detention of Major Conteh and accusing him of taking the pistol with him for devious reasons . Not surprisingly, some members of both parties did raise objections in the social media to President Bio’s decision to invite the opposition party kingpin to join his coronavirus response team. To the SLPP  supporters,  given the polarized relationship between the two parties, it  was a big risk by President Bio, while APC  supporters thought it was a ploy to implicate the former Defence Minister in some trumped-up charges later.

On his Facebook page, Major Conteh said that indeed he moved with his bag which contained his money and  a registered and licensed pistol  and he declared it at State House. He also said that  he normally leaves this particular bag in his car but because the boys who wash cars at #StateHouse wanted to wash his car he decided to move with the bag. He explained that when he reached at the counter he declared that his bag has a weapon and even though the state House guys said that he should go with the bag to the meeting, he insisted leaving the bag with the security at the counter.

Palor added that  he was having discussion with the CM, and five others when the Head of Security at #StateHouse came with two CID Officers and asked about the brown bag and he explained that he declared it. He said he was never taken to CID but a statement was obtained from him at State House. He said that as a former Minister of Defense he doesn’t have security so he normally moves with his registered and licensed pistol. He  thought the matter had died down but was surprised to see it on social media.

Idrissa Salaam Conteh writes :

Rtd Maj. Palo Conteh has been quoted as saying that he possesses a registered pistol with which he moves around for his personal security since he has no bodyguards.

So, when he was invited to State House to attend the Contingency Planning meeting on Coronavirus preparedness, he took his loaded pistol along.

Whatever the explanations are, it is against security protocols anywhere in the world for visitors to enter the seat of power with firearms. Palo Conteh ought to know better.

Could he could with a loaded pistol to the White House if he were to have audience with President Trump?

Sierra Leone is a sick nation. People are just publishing all kinds of trash in defence Palo Conteh’s unfortunate behaviour that is causing unnecessary distraction.

Can Palo Conteh ensure his own security at State House with a single pistol? Arms are strictly prohibited at State House which Palo Conteh ought to know better. Even mobile phones are collected from visitors and registered before seeing the president.

Would Palo Conteh have allowed someone to see President Ernest Bai Koroma with a well loaded pistol during the APC administration? Sierra Leone is a sick nation. The wrong of party officials we support are considered good even when they are not in the interest of the country.

Blind party loyalists will come here to justify the wrongs relating to this sad incident which is a gross violation of state protocols.

Mamu Salone TearGas is with Mamu Al Conteh.

The man handed his weapon. Now the police are saying that they intercepted his weapon. If APC do not come out swinging, they will charge him for treason.

Not the presser: It was one of Bio’s most tribalistic officer who is now making that allegation. It was a setup from the get go. They are angry that a non Mende is allowed to play a pivotal role in the fight against the Coronavirus. They do not want any credit to be portioned to anyone associated with APC or a non Mende. .

We saw them all over social media protesting the involvement of Paolo Alfred Conteh. So they cooked up some nasty conspiracy to rope him.

If the APC leadership fail to act decisively, I guarantee you all EBK and everyone else will be their next victims. Stop the passive protest.

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Comments
  • Jenebajenifer Konneh Hmmmm àaa salone
    • Tunde Scott Salifu Kamara
      He did declare d gun to d security guyz at d post whete he left it with them n move for d meeting….See More
      • Salifu Kamara Mr Conteh, I think you have also being judgmental here. Some of these invitees were shortly informed about their meeting with the president. What I want to know, did Palo Conteh declare the arms even before he entered state House? Let us allow the police to do their job and we do not preempt for or against a citizen when he/she is in conflict with the law.
        Like
  • Alimamy Issa Kamara The Arms and Ammunition Act of 2012

    PARTIV–POSSESSION AND USE WITHIN SIERRA LEONESee More

  • Alimamy Issa Kamara PART III – MANAGEMENT AND SECURITY OF STOCKPILES
    “Section 3) Very essential Public Buildings must be fitted with screening equipments manned by accepted security officials.” (Paolo did just that, by establishing the facts to the security personnel that, he had a gun with him for his own personal safety).
  • Idrissa Salam Conteh My friend Salifu Kamara, w will you enter State House to see President Ernest Bai Koroma with a well loaded pistol during the APC administration?

    There are no excuses and no exceptions to carry firearms to see the President. Why are people searched in and out before entering the seat of power?

  • Peter Dumbuya Right, Idrissa Salam Conteh, even cellphones were sequestered by the Police when someone went through the scanner at State House. It happened to me each time I went to meet with EBK in 2013/14.
  • Mohamed W Jalloh Idrissa Salam Conteh, did he surrender the pistol at the gate or did he take it inside state house? Until then let’s not jump into conclusion
    • Peter Dumbuya Idrissa Salam Conteh, absolutely, no familiarity counts when it comes to the president’s security.
    • Idrissa Salam Conteh Peter Dumbuya, in Kinshasa, seeing the president requires proper screening using advanced technology. The country has a history of assassinating its leaders. So, they have bitter lessons. I swear to Allah, if this incident had occurred in Kinshasa or in Kigali, Conteh would be under lock and key.

      Idrissa Salam Conteh Thanks Prof. Peter Dumbuya for adding inputs to the debate. Each time I visited APC ministers, my phones were taken from me and pockets and bags searched.

      Having a licence to possess a pistol doesn’t permit you to take it to State House? Palo Conteh has caused an unnecessary embarrassment for himself.

      Like

       

  • Commoner S. Man Swaray Palo why??????
    • Mohamed W Jalloh Idrissa Salam Conteh , the answer is simply no.
      • Reply
      • 1h
        Idrissa Salam Conteh Please read the press release again, Mr. Mohamed W Jalloh. He took the pistol right inside the visitors room. You can read Palo Conteh’s own account of the incident on his Facebook page. He said the pistol was inside a bag that contained money. The car wash boys offered to wash his car. So, he decided to take the bag along. Is this acceptable?
    • Yema Lyell This is a wake up call to the security.
      Yema Lyell You are not to pass the first security checkpoint with a pistol 🔫 or pocket knife 🔪. Security lapses
    • Idrissa Salam Conteh Correct, Yema Lyell. Seriously security lapses at the State House. He should not have been allowed into the precincts of the compound with the pistol. Here in Rwanda, parents visiting their children in the schools are searched and registered. Surveillance cameras detect metals and arms from afar. In Kinshasa and Kigali, Palo Conteh would be under lock and key by now.
  • Augustine Alusine Dauda Tarawally I think the president really needs to sack his CSO and change his entire presidential guard. Yes Paolo conteh ought to know better to have taken a pistol to state house of all places but the security at state house that allowed him to even pass with a pen knife, let alone a loaded pistol should be arrested and court martialled. That is gross negligence of duty.
    Like
  • Yema Lyell Yes sir, most government buildings and schools. Security is very important
  • Idrissa Salam Conteh Mr. Alimamy Issa Kamara, Please don’t go out of topic. Please come back to the topic. The crux of the matter under investigation is not whether the pistol is licensed or not. It is the act of taking a loaded pistol to meet with the president. Does the license authorise him to enter the seat of power with his loaded pistol?

     

    Alimamy Issa KamaraAlimamy Issa Kamara 
  • Tunde Scott Boss man that pistol u posted is fake Sir….. That’s not d gun bra…… That pistol u posted was downloaded n posted allover by one SLPP news carr
  • Tunde Scott As long as Palo is APC Mr Idrissa Salam Conteh will not side with him…..

    Palo was not cought with d pistol…..he declared it himself at d security post where he left it n move for d meeting….. He did told d security guyz that he was carrying a pistol n left it with them….. Jus bad politics but ohhhh yaaaa

  • Pa Bai Idrissa, what kind of journalism is this? Present the full picture to your audience and not the same sensationalism. If we demand truth, professionalism and honesty from our leaders, we should reflect the same in our endeavours. Let us be the change we desire, please.
 

 

 

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