Emile Simon Pratt, whose whereabouts are still unknown, has been reportedly declared “wanted” by the Sierra Leone Police on allegations of ballot stuffing and electoral malpractices during the 2018 general elections. If arrested and prosecuted, he may face long term imprisonment.
As part of the National Electoral Commission (NEC)’s temporary staff, Pratt is said to have been tasked with overseeing ballot boxes at a polling station in the Western Area which later became the focus of allegations of ballot stuffing and electoral malpractices. To add salt to injury, he is also accused of being a member of the former ruling party, the All People’s Congress (APC), on whose behalf he was alleged to have been engaged in ballot stuffing and electoral malpractices.
When the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) came to power shortly after the 2018 Presidential and Parliamentary elections, Pratt and several other staff of NEC were reportedly arrested and taken to CID headquarters for questioning. It is being claimed that he was beaten mercilessly whilst in detention for his connection to the APC.
Unconfirmed reports state that before Pratt was arrested and taken to CID headquarters for questioning, he was assaulted at his home with one of his friends who later reportedly died from the injuries he sustained from the assault. He is said to have been receiving death threats from unidentified persons ever since.
After few weeks in detention, he was reportedly released but asked to be reporting once a week at CID headquarters. But when he failed to report for two weeks, the police reportedly declared him “wanted” and sent a truckload of security personnel to raid his home in Freetown.
Luckily for Emile Simon Pratt, by the time he was reportedly declared “wanted” by the Sierra Leone Police he had already fled to neighbouring Guinea. But even in that country, he will not be safe as Sierra Leone has an Extradition Treaty with Guinea.