Freetown - Sierra Leone's vice-president has appeared in public for the first time since his residence was stormed by soldiers, insisting that he is not in danger and suggesting that he has not been in hiding.
Samuel Sam-Sumana had claimed he feared for his life and had applied to the United States for asylum, according to aides, after he was expelled from the governing party.
Witnesses described how heavily-armed men entered his hilltop home in Freetown while he was away on Saturday and disarmed his security guards, leaving with bundles of files.
He had not been seen in public since, but he appeared briefly to address journalists at his home late Monday and said: "I am safe. We are all safe."
The All People's Congress said earlier this month it had kicked out Sam-Sumana for fomenting violence in his home district of Kono, deceit, fraud and threatening key party officials.
The action against him has been presented as part of a wider crackdown on "anti-party activities" which saw expulsions, reprimands and fines for several other senior members.
But the government has repeatedly denied that the vice president is in any danger, claiming his fears for his life were "ludicrous".
The 52-year-old's expulsion came a few days after he had put himself in quarantine due to the death of one of his bodyguards from Ebola.
The vice president has dismissed the accusations against him as "a storm in a teacup" and vowed to address them when he came out of quarantine.
He told reporters he could not discuss whether he planned to resign, but added: "I am fine and I don't feel threatened."
He faced questions on whether he had been at the residence since Saturday or had fled elsewhere, but would only respond: "You've met me here and I am here... Maybe at a particular time, I was not."
"Why should I hide as a sitting vice president? Why should I do that?" he added.
AFP
