By Alhaji Haruna Sani
Former Chief Superintendent of Police, Mohammed Yaetey Yaetey Turay has been arrested and detained in Liberia.
His detention is not unconnected to a recent allegation by the Sierra Leone Police of an attempted coup by some senior military personnel and other civilians.
Few days ago, police issued a press release claiming that some civilians including senior military personnel were planning to stage a demonstration, thereby undermining the peace and tranquility of the state by unleashing violence on the country.
Lieutenant General Peter K Lavahun, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) also admonished senior military officers to abstain from national politics.
The Chief of Defence Staff was on Friday, August 3rd advising some senior military officers at the Hockey Pitch, Wilberforce Barracks in Freetown.
He disclosed that six military officers and five Order ranks and some other civilians were arrested following intelligence and credible evidence of wrong doings.
He cautioned members of RSLAF and the general public to refrain from politicising the arrest or associating the arrest to regional and tribal lines.
According to information, the former Chief Superintendent of Police, Mohamed Turay aka Yaetey Yaetey had been in Liberia before the 2023 elections. He was among several other officers who were dismissed in May 2020 while others were forced into retirement.
Their dismissals were, however, highly criticised and condemned, with many stakeholders believing the dismissal was based on politics and ethnic differences.
However, Publication on a popular Liberian newspaper, ‘Front Page Africa’ revealed that Turay was apprehended by the Liberia National Police on Friday August 4th at around “On Friday around 2-3 O’clock.
The arrest came in response to a request from Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio, who accused the ex-police officer of involvement in a recent foiled coup plot.
According to the publication, CSP Turay’s relative in Monrovia (name withheld), informed Front Page Africa that the Liberia National Police refused to allow her to serve him food on Sunday when she visited the Liberia National Police headquarters where he is being held in custody.
Further revealed in the publication, was that the Liberian Police told Turay’s relative that he was part of the people who were planning coup against the Sierra Leone Government, “so, they arrested him and carried him to Central and this morning I carried food to him but they refused to allow him to receive the food from me, they said they’re not allowing anybody to see him,” the relative said.
According to relatives, they were informed that the Liberian government wants to send him back to Sierra Leone at President Bio’s request.
Last week, the Sierra Leone Police disclosed that some senior military officers
