Where is the blood ? The biggest hoax since ‘Janet Bundle’ ?

September 13, 2011 |

Somebody wrote COCORIOKO a letter raising the same issue about the absence of blood from the clothes SLPP Presidential candidate Maada Bio wore on Friday when he was alleged to have suffered serious head inuries in Bo but because of our unique position as a newspaper promoting the achievements of the government to the world, we did not want to be the initiators of the hypothesis that the Maada Bio ‘serious injury’ could in all probability have been a big hoax, especially when President Ernest Koroma had called for a broad-based investigation into the crisis. We did not want to prejudice the investigations. However, now that another newspaper has come up with the same story, we are very happy to reproduce it for the benefit of our thosands of readers all over the world.

We want Sierra Leoneans to read this interesting article from AWARENESS TIMES. We are not talking about the allegations levied against the paper. That is a side issue. We want you to study the demonstration made by Mohamed Bangura .We call on you, men and women of conscience, sound reasoning and sound judgement to view the photo demonstration carefully and see for yourselves whether perhaps the biggest hoax since JANET BUNDLE in the 1950s had not been performed on the Sierra Leone people.

Mohamed Bangura Protests: “Where is the blood on Maada Bio’s clothes?”

To: The Editor

Awareness Times Newspaper.

Monday Sept 12, 2011

Dear Sir,

YOUR INVOLVEMENT IN SLPP’s CHEAP POLITICS TO GAIN SYMPATHY:

I write to protest your breaking news internet reports for Friday September 9th 2011 in which you stated, inter alia, “This eyewitness has confirmed that indeed he saw Maada Bio with blood pouring off his face onto his outfit”.

This your manner of reporting about Captain Bio’s alleged stone injury was replicated over international media especially the BBC to which Umaru Fofana “confirmed” that Captain Bio sustained “multiple head injuries” and had been rushed to hospital.

Before proceeding, let me make it clear I am not writing in my capacity as the interim Chairman/Leader of the United Democratic Movement (UDM) but as a concerned citizen of this our beloved Sierra Leone.

Now, I want to categorically express my disappointment at both Awareness Times and the BBC for allowing your credible mediums to become an outlet for what is fast turning out to be another of the SLPP’s cheap politics.

First of all, let me bring to your notice that the same outfit Captain Bio was wearing to enter Bo City is the same outfit he is putting on inside the hospital and it is the same outfit he is putting on at the Coronation Field to address supporters. Even the pen in his pocket is in the same location throughout this period! If as Awareness Times reported, blood was pouring off Bio’s face on to his outfit, how come there is not a single drop of blood on the outfit in all these photos?

Secondly, we have now been informed by the SLPP Spokesman that Captain Bio was seated inside his vehicle when the stone precisely dropped on his head through the sun-roof of his Jeep. What a super marksmanship! How come it is only Captain Bio who was wounded in such a massive crowd of SLPP supporters? No hospital report of any head injury as result of stone-throwing has been recorded. Only bullets and body injuries after the riot started. My question to you journalists is: What kind of fantastic marksmanship is this which could specifically target only Captain Bio inside his vehicle right in the midst of hundreds of others?

Third point is, how come Captain Bio did not make an official complaint to the Sierra Leone Police in Bo so as to receive a Police Medical Form for his head to be examined by a Police Doctor and a Police Medical Report be prepared for him? He was quite fit to jump into a vehicle and gallivant into Kenema why not stop at a Police Station to collect a Medical Form to aid the prosecution of whoever was culpaple for alleged stone-throwing?

Fourth point: Why did Captain Bio enter Kenema with a huge oversized white bandage now wrapped all around his head to make his reported “injuries” look more serious if not to gain more undeserved synpathies? Just look at the size of the bandage around his head when he entered Kenema as compared to the plaster strip on top of his head after he was dressed in Bo Hospital.

Whilst I sympathise with Captain Bio for his predicament, I have urged the Police Doctors to remove the plaster and check the alleged injury of Captain Bio that resulted in such wanton loss of life and properties.

Sierra Leone: Mohamed Bangura Protests against Awareness Times & BBC Reports on Maada Bio: Where is the blood on Maada Bio’s clothes?
By Mohamed Bangura (United Democratic Movement)

Sep 13, 2011, 17:12 Email this article
 

Below are printed pictures with commentaries insisting the SLPP Presidential flag bearer could not have been hurt. Where is the blood?, they kept on asking.

Mohamed Bangura Protests: “Where is the blood on Maada Bio’s clothes?”

Maada Bio enters Bo.Watch location of the pen in his pocket .Bio’s image has been enlarged out by the right of the photo for better view of the pen.

Maada Bio and journalist Sorie Fofana inside Dr.Yillah’s hospital .There is no blood on his clothes contrary to Awareness Times report and pen is still located in the same unruffled position in his pocket .

Maada Bio waves to his supporters as he leaves the Bo Hospital

Maada Bio chata with Kanja Sesay at Coronation Field. He is now holding the pen which he has finally removed from his pocket.

Maada Bio entering Kenema on Saturday. Now he has wrapped huge white bandage all around his head and top part of his face for more sympathy votes

To: The Editor

Awareness Times Newspaper.

Monday Sept 12, 2011

Dear Sir,

YOUR INVOLVEMENT IN SLPP’s CHEAP POLITICS TO GAIN SYMPATHY:

I write to protest your breaking news internet reports for Friday September 9th 2011 in which you stated, inter alia, “This eyewitness has confirmed that indeed he saw Maada Bio with blood pouring off his face onto his outfit”.

This your manner of reporting about Captain Bio’s alleged stone injury was replicated over international media especially the BBC to which Umaru Fofana “confirmed” that Captain Bio sustained “multiple head injuries” and had been rushed to hospital.

Before proceeding, let me make it clear I am not writing in my capacity as the interim Chairman/Leader of the United Democratic Movement (UDM) but as a concerned citizen of this our beloved Sierra Leone.

Now, I want to categorically express my disappointment at both Awareness Times and the BBC for allowing your credible mediums to become an outlet for what is fast turning out to be another of the SLPP’s cheap politics.

First of all, let me bring to your notice that the same outfit Captain Bio was wearing to enter Bo City is the same outfit he is putting on inside the hospital and it is the same outfit he is putting on at the Coronation Field to address supporters. Even the pen in his pocket is in the same location throughout this period! If as Awareness Times reported, blood was pouring off Bio’s face on to his outfit, how come there is not a single drop of blood on the outfit in all these photos?

Secondly, we have now been informed by the SLPP Spokesman that Captain Bio was seated inside his vehicle when the stone precisely dropped on his head through the sun-roof of his Jeep. What a super marksmanship! How come it is only Captain Bio who was wounded in such a massive crowd of SLPP supporters? No hospital report of any head injury as result of stone-throwing has been recorded. Only bullets and body injuries after the riot started. My question to you journalists is: What kind of fantastic marksmanship is this which could specifically target only Captain Bio inside his vehicle right in the midst of hundreds of others?

Third point is, how come Captain Bio did not make an official complaint to the Sierra Leone Police in Bo so as to receive a Police Medical Form for his head to be examined by a Police Doctor and a Police Medical Report be prepared for him? He was quite fit to jump into a vehicle and gallivant into Kenema why not stop at a Police Station to collect a Medical Form to aid the prosecution of whoever was culpaple for alleged stone-throwing?

Fourth point: Why did Captain Bio enter Kenema with a huge oversized white bandage now wrapped all around his head to make his reported “injuries” look more serious if not to gain more undeserved synpathies? Just look at the size of the bandage around his head when he entered Kenema as compared to the plaster strip on top of his head after he was dressed in Bo Hospital.

Whilst I sympathise with Captain Bio for his predicament, I have urged the Police Doctors to remove the plaster and check the alleged injury of Captain Bio that resulted in such wanton loss of life and properties.

FROM: Mr. Mohamed Bangura