The reports reaching Foroyaa on the implementation of the state of emergency without the publication of the regulations confirm that powers could be abused if not properly restrained.
Arrests and release of shopkeepers for allegedly selling goods above prices without any regulation indicating the state established prices leads to arbitrariness that could be exploited to victimize people.
The Inspector general of police should strengthen administrative oversight by beefing up the staff in its compliant unit so that speedy action is taken against those who extort the population.
The Committee on Petition of the National Assembly should come to life to deal with public grievances. The checks and balances should be put in place otherwise COVID 19 may be abused to promote extortion of the citizenry. This should not be allowed. A state of emergency is not a license to rule by decree. Regulations must be reasonably justifiable in a democratic society and must be reasonably and justifiably enforced.
