FROM HIS LAIR IN CANADA, HOW GIBRIL GBANABOME KOROMA CONTINUES, NAZI-STYLE TO COVER THE TRACKS OF THOSE WHO WAGED WAR ON THE PEOPLE DURING THE ILLEGAL JUNTA OCCUPATION OF SIERRA LEONE

The latest deceptive, manipulative and outright triumph-of-evil story carried on the pages of Gibril Gbanabome Koroma's website dated April 6, 2008 shows once again how the Edmund Burke adage - All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing rings so terrifyingly true.

The story purportedly written by another Expo Times exponent, the brother of Ibrahim Seaga Shaw was the culmination of efforts to reinvent one Sullay Adekulay or whatever his real name could be who was a part of the the clique that benefited from a junta that was engaged in massive human rights abuses during their illegal occupation of the country from May 25, 1997 to February 1998.

How he got a seat on that board of the EJN could be laid squarely at the feet of that organisation for its failure to carefully vet those who claim to have been victims. This singular act of omission was what enabled and emboldened the junta apologists to infiltrate it to a point where a non-journalist and an ardent supporter and apologist for the human rights abusing AFRC/RUF junta could con his way on a board that is set up to cater for persecuted journalists.

Take a look at this part of the story for an appreciation of how far they are ready and willing to go to reinvent themselves. All of them from Sierra Leone with the exception of one of their surviving victims Victor Sylver are all people with close links with the human rights abusers of the junta in Sierra Leone between May 25, 1997 and February 1998. And they still continue to deny many of the atrocities that the junta visited on the people and continue to be apologists for the junta.

Other Sierra Leonean members of the organization include Dr. Ibrahim Seaga Shaw(EXPO TIMES publisher), Victor Sylver(former BBC correspondent in Freetown), Mohamed Magba Taimeh(former EXPO TIMES sports editor), Sheka Tarawalie(former TORCHLIGHT newspaper publisher, now State House Press Secretary in Freetown) and Abu B. Shaw(Patriotic Vanguard’s London Bureau Chief). Sheka Tarawalie and Ibrahim Seaga Shaw have both resigned from the board. Sheka resigned to take up the Press Secretary job at State House, Sierra Leone, and Seaga probably because of his job as a university lecturer).

While colleagues were being hunted, harassed and marked for death during this period - they were busy feeding fat on looted "goodies" and perks like free fuel for their cars at a time when this commodity was getting scarcer by the day.

But back to this latest deception that has got the Exiled Journalists Network, EJN pretty embarrassed.

From his base in Canada where he has been enjoying the fruits of good governance and the rule of law, this supporter of the obnoxious AFRC/RUF junta Gibril Gbanabome Koroma instead of showing appreciation for his hosts has been using every twist and turn to justify the junta excesses re-inventing his type on the way.

Remember the first article he published on a soon-to-published something which was to be edited by their man Sullay Adekulay? He's taken it off for now from his website but here it is. And do not be surprised that the photo was an attempt to hide the man's face for he's not what they claim he is. This was the first step.

The newly-created journalist when challenged as to his credentials at the 2007 AGM of the EJN by at least two other Sierra Leoneans who have never heard of a Sullay Adekulay as a journalist, it was Sheka Tarawallie who breezed in to say that the man was with him. As what? He could not say.

Pressed further about his time as journalist in Sierra Leone and if he was a member of SLAJ, the man who is now President Ernest Bai Koroma's Press Secretary said Sullay was a member. When pressed further as to who was the SLAJ President when Sullay Adekulay became a member a couple of names were rolled out glibly from Sheka's lips.

A check in Sierra Leone revealed that all what Sheka Tarawallie had been saying were false and upon realising that such checks were being made in the mother country, Sullay Adekulay using Sheka's mobile phone from Manchester denied that he had ever been a journalist. That he had never called himself a journalist as he was not one.

Now you have an idea.

Again take a look at this section below. Rings a bell? Well that's the well-worn mantra they all had been using to justify support for the junta - a mantra which is now full of holes as their lies are exposed.

Like his former Editor-in-chief, Shekito, he advocated for a peaceful resolution of the imbroglio in his native Sierra Leone, a stance the recently kicked-out SLPP government interpreted to mean collaborating with the then military regime. The consequences of such a trumped-up allegation wouldhave been for him to be lynched by desperate SLPP thugs.

And it was while the clique advocated for a peaceful resolution of the imbroglio in his native Sierra Leone that the Expo Times was rolling out articles that fingered colleagues as well as those justifying summary executions.

It is good, very good to see that the story was written by Ibrahim Seaga Shaw's brother as they were both on the Expo Times in Freetown during junta days and for both to be photographed. And yet, as to why his brother had resigned from the Board of the EJN, here is what he states -

and Seaga probably because of his job as a university lecturer. Can you imagine!!!!

And it was the writer of this article Abu B. Shaw who when Umaru Fofanah, a journalist who had been shot by junta soldiers was on crutches going up the steps of No. 1 Short Street in Freetown remarked wagging a threatening finger at him -

"Nar yu left foot lef now, you wait" (The next foot to be shot would be your left. You better watch out)

The arrogance and feeling of being in charge was all there as was the power to finger perceived enemies of the junta.

And this was how Umaru had his right foot shot by junta operatives.

Umaru was by then Editor of the Vision newspaper as well as the new BBC reporter on the ground during those troubled times for journalists thought to be anti-junta.