One of the two Members of Parliament, who defied the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) stance not to participate at all levels of State governance, Hon. Alfred Ayodele Thompson, on Monday 9th October, 2023 formally wrote the Chairman of Political Parties Regulatory Commission (PPRC) regarding his party’s Disciplinary and Complaint Committee.

It could be recalled that recently, the APC Disciplinary and Complaint Committee suspended Hon. Alfred A. Johnson and Hon. Mohamed Bangura from the party pending an investigation.

In his correspondence, Hon. Alfred Thompson expressed concerns over what he perceives as adverse actions taken against him by the APC’s Disciplinary and Complaint Commission.

According to the MP, though he communicated his willingness to attend a disciplinary hearing as was mentioned in his letter to the committee on 19th September 2023, he however believes there are doubts in the fairness of the process and concerns for his safety due to the designated venue for the hearing.

He furthered that he would be out of the country on a parliamentary mission and therefore requested for deferred hearing to a date in mid-October.
Hon. Thompson claimed that despite his detailed letter of 19th September 2023, the APC disregarded his request; instead, he said, they scheduled a full hearing for yesterday Tuesday 10th October.

The MP insisted that he would not be available on the specific date due to the reasons he had outlined in his correspondence with the committee, adding that the action of the committee was a deliberate attempt to deprive him of his fundamental right to a fair hearing and accused the committee of subjecting him to unfair treatment.

Hon. Thompson pointed out that his party’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 urged 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. Thompson concluded by emphasizing the need for the PPRC to ensure justice and the law prevail in this matter, and expressed his gratitude for their attention and prompt response.