According to reports on Friday, the Office of the Speaker has demanded the presence of Inspector General of Police Richard Moigbeh in front of the House Select Committee on Internal Affairs.
This comes following concerns raised by some lawmakers from the Coalition for Change (C4C) party, which Mr Sam-Sumana is the head of. Sam-Sumana served in office from 2007 to 2015, when he was sacked by former President Ernest Bai Koroma in a controversial move that sparked a constitutional crisis that ended at the regional court of COWAS in Abuja, Nigeria.
His sacking from office, amidst a power struggle with the then President, followed Mr Sam-Sumana’s expulsion from the then ruling All Peoples Congress (APC). He would later form C4C, under which he contested the presidency in 2018 and emerged with the 4th highest votes.
C4C, which has the third largest number of seats in parliament with eight MPs, was partly credited for the victory of the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) as many of its supporters are believed to have voted for the then main opposition leader, Julius Maada Bio, in the run-off.
According to a constitutional provision, Mr Sam-Sumana is entitled to the privilege as a former VP. But the police say because he was dismissed from office he lost that privilege. On Tuesday armed police officers stormed his private residence and ordered the disarming and removal of his security guards.
The move provoked widespread condemnation from opposition supporters, with some pro-democracy activists questioning the new government’s commitment to democratic principles. Saa Emmerson Lamina, the head of C4C in parliament, argued that as someone who served in the second highest office of the land, Sam-Sumana was entitled to state security, citing the relevant constitutional provisions.
“I am calling the office of the speaker to engage the Attorney General and the IGP for the speedy restoration of the security detail of Sam-Sumana,” he said. His colleague, Sahr Chalres, said the issue has national security and that it constituted the violation of the constitutional rights of the
former VP.
“Our mandate as a parliament is to protect the constitution of this nation, added Mr Charles. Deputy Speaker, Solomon Sengepo Thomas, who presided over the session, cautioned against rushing into conclusion as to the reason for the decision, saying it could amount to undermining the executive.
“As a House, let’s not be seen [to be] undermining the effectiveness of the Executive Branch of govt. They are an independent branch from the legislature,” he said. “What I am saying is that, I think it is better to invite the Inspector General to this House to proffer explanation,” he added, before ordering the IGP to appear before the relevant committee, which is expected to report to the rest of the House after the hearing.