''All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing'' - Edmund Burke

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S I E R R A  H E R A L D

Vol 10 No 3

The tendency sometimes to protect perpetrators for the sake of peace...doesn't help society. Impunity should not be allowed to stand. - Kofi Annan on Waki report

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We warned Sierra Leoneans 2 years ago about this SLPP Game plan

Only people who do not know the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP ) will be surprised to hear that the chaos in Bo yesterday was a well-planned and well-orchestrated ploy by the SLPP to gain sympathy from the international community. We have been warning Sierra Leoneans about this since two years ago that the SLPP , knowing how limited they are in human resources to challenge President Ernest Koroma ‘s popularity and achievements , will do everything to provoke violence and frame the ruling All People’s Congress ( APC ) to involve the fickle International Community.

Everything happening is according to laid-out textbook -type plan by the SLPP to frame the APC. Remember that they started it in 2009 during that famous chaos at their headquarters in Freetown that was provoked by them , during which the demonic John Benjamin, tried unsuccessfully to use the former U.S. Ambassador, June Carter Perry, to smear the APC Government to the International Community. Knowing the revulsion with which the International Community and the United Nations (UN ) now regards politically-motivated rape and human rights abuses of women, the SLPP coached some women to lie that they were raped by SLPP supporters. It was only when a judicial investigation was launched through the setting up of a committee that the truth was unravelled that the women were not raped. All these tricks being employed by the SLPP are the handiwork of the desperate -for-power and nebulous character, John Benjamin , who believes that by stigmatizing the APC as a violent party he can get the International Community to sympathize with the SLPP and effect regime change in Sierra Leone.

If the SLPP are not depending on violence, they would not have chosen a violent thug and murderer like Maada Bio as their presidential candidate . The move to cheat Wusu BOIE of the flagbeareship in the last minute and hand it to Bio was motivated by the desire to bring in a violent man and somebody who provokes violemce because the SLPP has decided that violence that will frame the APC is the only way. What is surprising is why certain people just cannot get this message.

It is to be hoped that the International Community will not buy into the SLPP game plan and that they wait for all the facts to come in from independent sources on the ground. They need to know that some of the key officials of the Sierra Leone Association For Journalists ( SLAJ ) are pro-SLPP. They showed their true colours recently when a journalist was assaulted .Quickly, without waiting for the facts to emerge, SLAJ floated a statement accusing the Presidential guard and calling for investigations. Interestingly, when three journalists from the AWARENESS TIMES newspaper were brutalized by thugs unleashed on them by the violent Maada Bio, SLAJ response was muted and compromising. This is one of the incidents of double standards by SLAJ that will destroy the organization’s credibility if it is not stopped .

Nor should the International Community take some of our civil society groups seriously. They came into existence during the reign of the SLPP and many of them are pro-SLPP. All these facts attest to the delicacy of the political situation in Sierra Leone and the International Community should avoid making the mistake of jumping to conclusion early when the SLPP and their allies SLAJ and civil society groups start condemning the government. They should make their own objective investigations.

We hope the SLPP will cease all the dirty policking and start practising real and genuine politics.

We have now been able to retrieve the original story as carried on the Cocorioko website and which has been expunged from its original url site. It was planted on a discussion forum website with the heading - Thuggish SLPP implementing their diabolical plans! - and posted by one Musa Moibu!!!

The shameless ernest bai koroma worshippers - Photo: Sierra Express Media

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  1. KEY FINDINGS

During the Course of the Investigation the following Key Issues were identified

a. Legality of the Procession

It has been established that on the 29th August 2011 the SLPP District Secretary Bo Mr. Mohammed E.K Alie wrote a letter to the Paramount Chief Kakua Chiefdom Bo PC Prince Lappia Boima the fourth and the LUC Bo Police Division Mr. Theophilus Senesie requesting for clearance and Police coverage for a procession, Pouring of libation at the Party office and a public meeting at the coronation field in Bo; in respect of the visit of the flag bearer elect of the SLPP Rtd. Brig Julius Maada Bio on Friday 9th September 2011.

In response to that request, the Local Unit Commander for Bo District Mr. Theophilus Senesie who was in a workshop in Freetown instructed his chief clerk to issue security clearance and to provide security for the visit of Rtd. Brigadier Julius Maada Bio, whose letter was dated 9th September 2011. It has also been observed that on the 9th September 2011 the SLPP presented the route for the procession to the Police. This Panel has established that the Procession was legal and authorized.

b. Wounding of the SLPP Flagbearer Brigadier Rtd. Julius Maada Bio

It has been established that during the course of the investigation the SLPP Procession arrived at the vicinity of the PMDC and APC offices along Mahei Boima Road Bo at about 1500hours on the 9th September 2011. It has also been established that when the Procession arrived at the PMDC office, the flag bearer was standing through the sun roof of the vehicle where he waved to the people who were standing in the compound of the PMDC office. It has also been confirmed that the procession was peaceful up to the point when they arrived at the vicinity of the APC office. It was at that point that the first sets of stones were pelted at the procession from the direction of the APC office. It has been confirmed that the following people Mohamed Conteh Alias Bomb Blast, Alias Bobby APC and Lamin Alias Shakur were among the people throwing stones.

The investigation has confirmed that the SLPP flag bearer Brigadier Rtd. Julius Maada Bio was hit on the head by a stone released by a catapult by Mohamed Conteh Alias Bomb Blast. This stone that hit the SLPP flag bearer’s head resulted in wounding and oozing of blood from his head. Additionally, this wounding has been confirmed from three source Eyewitnesses, Video clip of the procession, medical reports from Dr. M.B Yilla of Kindoya Hospital No.1 Prince Williams Street Bo, Dr. Patrick Bankah (Ghana) and Dr. Rashida Kamara .

It has also been confirmed that after the SLPP flag bearer was hit and wounded on his head stones started coming from the SLPP Procession towards the APC office. Damage on the rear screen of the vehicle the flag bearer was also confirmed.

Evidence adduced so far has confirmed that on Friday 9th September 2011 about thirteen (13) people were found behaving in a riotous manner and throwing stones within the vicinity of the APC office in Bo along Mahei Boima Road Bo.

The thirteen (13) suspects are as follows:

  1. Amadu Mansaray

  2. Osman Mansaray

  3. Alhaji Abdulai Sesay

  4. Ibrahim Conteh (alias Shakur)

  5. Junior Sillah

  6. Bockarie Baimba

  7. Osman Jalloh

  8. Mohamed Conteh (alias Bomb Blast)

  9. Mohamed Koroma (alias APC Ratti)

  10. Mohamed Massaquoi

  11. Alhaji (alias Evil NyaNya)

  12. Abdullai Bangura

  13. Shaka Kamara

Riotous conduct

 

5. CONCLUSION

Based on the findings through statement taking, interviews and onsite visits to the crime scene the Panel concludes;

  1. That the APC Youths started the stoning

  2. The burning down of buildings was carried out by supporters of the SLPP.

  3. The shootings were done by the OSD personnel in Bo and it resulted in one dead and twenty three people injured including two police personnel.

  4. The APC Regional Chairlady South was also stabbed by an irate youth.

  5. The Panel also confirmed that the senior police officers of Bo Police Division were out of station and there was no operational order for the visit of Brig. Rtd Maada Bio.

  6. The Panel also established that the Bo Fire Force did not respond to the fire call.

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©Sierra Herald 2002