Hon. Alfred Thompson, a member of parliament for the All Peoples Congress (APC) has on the 9th October,2023 written the chairman for the Political Parties Regulatory Commission (PPRC) with regards to his party’s disciplinary and complaint committee.
The committee had recently suspended two of its members, Hon. Bangura and Hon. Thompson from the party pending an investigation.
In his letter, Thompson expressed concerns about what he perceives as adverse actions taken against him by the APC’s Disciplinary and Complaint Committee.
Outlining the sequences of the event, he maintained that he communicated his willingness to attend a disciplinary hearing as was mentioned in his letter to the committee on September 19, 2023, adding that there are doubts in the fairness of the process and concerns for his safety due to the designated venue for the hearing.
Hon. Thompson further noted in his letter that he would be out of the country on a Parliamentary Mission and requested a deferral of his hearing to a date in mid-October.
The parliamentarian asserts that despite his detailed letter of September 19, 2023, the APC disregarded his requests. Instead, they scheduled a full hearing for Tuesday, October 10, 2023.
He insists that he is unavailable on the specified date due to the reasons he previously outlined in his correspondence with the committee. Hon. Thompson characterizes this as a deliberate attempt to deprive him of his fundamental right to a fair hearing and accuses the committee of subjecting him to unfair treatment.
Hon. Thompson also points out that the APC’s actions not only impugn his character but also infringe upon his political and civil rights, which are protected by the Constitution of Sierra Leone Act No. 6 of 1991.
He argues that the APC’s suspension of his membership and their subsequent actions violate the party’s constitution itself and calls for the PPRC, as the regulatory body for all political parties, to intervene.
Hon. Alfred Thompson concludes his letter by emphasizing the need for the PPRC to ensure that justice and the law prevail in this matter, expressing his gratitude for their attention and prompt response.
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