Sierra Leone – UPDATE ON ALIE KABBA. This is a brief update on the events of the day.
[Thursday,24th December, 2015], Freetown, Sierra Leone
1) At 05:00 pm yesterday, Alie Kabba received a note inviting him to the CID headquarters in Freetown.
2) Alie was preparing this morning to attend to the call when he saw police personnel at his door. He drove behind them to the CID.
3) At the CID, Alie was confronted with an allegation of “bigamy” which was robustly rebuffed by a strong, convincing and documented defence.
4) On the strength of the defence, CID AIG Amara Lenghore allowed him to go because “there was no case to answer”.
5) During the process of releasing him, a telephone call came in from the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Richard Moigbueh, stopping the process because of “orders from above.”
Alie’s release was therefore scuttled.
6) At this stage, a commotion erupted between the police and some of Alie Kabba’s supporters in which some of the supporters were assaulted by the police. One of them, Joseph Bengeh, was detained, along with Alie Kabba.
7) We want to take this opportunity to thank all our supporters and many well-wishers all over the world, particularly those in Freetown who continue to suffer the brunt of the regime’s brutality and contempt for democratic civility and the rule of law.
8) We also want to emphasize here that it is the honorable duty of every SLPP member and all fair-minded Sierra Leoneans, to put aside petty differences and work within the framework of the constitution to dismantle this lawless regime.
9) It is however very heartening to know that even in this ruthless atmosphere of political abuse, a growing number of Sierra Leoneans are ready to stand up and speak out against the creeping tyranny of unchecked power. Alie Kabba just happens to be one of these many patriots!
10) Somano Kapen , John Benjamin, Ambassador Bond Wurie, Ambassador Darbo, Abass Bundu, Kanja Sesay, J J Blood, Alpha Timbo, youths and representatives of the campaigns of all the flagbearers were among the SLPP leaders who were at the CID trying to negotiate Alie’s release.
11) As Alie Kabba unjustly spends a night in the Pademba prison tonight, just as he did 30 years ago when he was locked up by Siaka Stevens in 1985 for leading student demonstrations against APC dictatorship, we want to report that Alie remains serene and strong and unbroken.
He is thankful to all those standing up to make Sierra Leone strong and democratic, and a haven of political decency and progress.
Alie Kabba Campaign Communication Team.
Alie Kabba (in the centre), Freetown, Sierra Leone