In a dramatic development, Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio has sacked his Justice Minister Anthony Brewah, who is embroiled in a scandal involving the controversial release of a convicted murderer.
No reason was forwarded for the sacking of Mr Brewah, which was announced in a short statement signed by the Secretary to the President, Dr Julius Sandi Tuesday evening.
Mr Mohamed Lamin Tarawalley, the statement noted, was appointed the new Attorney General and Minister of Justice.
The development comes just hours after a photo emerged on social media linking the sacked Minister and Baimba Moiforay, the man whose release through a presidential pardon sparked public outrage.
Moiforay was one of 160 people released on New year under the prerogative of mercy provision of the country’s constitution.
On Monday the presidency issued a statement saying President Bio had revoked the decision. It also announced the institution of an investigation into how the name of the convicted murderer got into the list of those pardoned.
The picture of Mr Moiforay posing with Mr Brewah and Information Minister Abdulrahman Swaray provoked further speculations about the role senior government officials might have played in the release of the magician, who was convicted in 2016 for the murder of a popular disc jockey.
The scene of the photo, it turned out, was at the home of Mr Brewah in Tiama in the Moyamba District, where Moiforay hail from.
Swaray quickly issued a statement distancing himself from Moiforay. In it the information minister said he was traveling from the provinces when he decided to visit his colleague minister at his private residence.
“I have never met LAC before, let alone have any dealings with him. It was purely coincidental that I met them there and they requested a photo opp which politicians hardly reject,” Swaray said in his statement, referring to Moiforay by his nickname.
The new Justice Minister, Tarawalley, is until his latest appointment the country’s Solicitor General. He becomes the 4th person to be appointed Justice Minister in the nearly four years of the Bio administration.
