The All People’s Congress (APC) Party has issued a press statement expressing deep concerns regarding the arrest of Abubakar Boxx Konteh, the APC Organising Secretary for the North-West Region, in Guinea.
The Party alleged that the arrest was made in violation of the Agreement of National Unity, which aims to maintain a harmonious relationship between ruling and opposition parties.
Mr. Konteh was arrested on 23rd March 2024 on suspicion of involvement in the coup attempt of November 26th, 2023, and dealing of Kush, a substance that is a mixture of cannabis, fentanyl, tramadol, formaldehyde, and, according to some, ground-down human bones.
The Party said to date, Mr. Konteh’s family and legal representatives have not received any communication regarding his whereabouts or status and that the Party has raised concerns that the Sierra Leonean authorities in Guinea, who carried out the arrests, have not provided any information about Mr. Konteh’s whereabouts or allowed access to him during detention, which raises concerns about potential violations of his constitutional and human rights.
The APC party demanded clarity from the Sierra Leone government regarding the status of Mr. Konteh and other party members detained by the security apparatus and further condemned these arrests as baseless and contrary to democratic principles and political freedoms that Sierra Leone is committed to upholding.
The APC party called on the Republic of Guinea to intervene to ensure that the rights and freedoms of Sierra Leoneans within its borders are upheld according to regional and international laws. It is imperative that the Sierra Leonean authorities take appropriate measures to address these concerns and ensure that the rule of law is upheld.
Sierra Leone’s Minister of Information and Civic Education, Chernor Bah confirmed the arrest of Abu Bakarr Boxx-Konteh in Guinea.
He said he has been extradited to Sierra Leone to face charges related to his alleged involvement in the Kush trade as a trafficker.
The Minister said Boxx-Konteh is suspected of involvement in the November 26th attempted coup and had been hiding in Guinea, seeking to escape to Senegal.