Mrs Fatima Bio sets record straight on allegations of business dealings with former APC Secretary General Yansaneh

Sierra Leone Telegraph: 25 April 2023:

Following Sierra Leone Telegraph’s publication of an opinion piece (Op ed story) written by Foday Morris – believed to be a member of the All People’s Congress (APC) Party on July 19th 2021, titled “APC secretary general is in business partnership with First Lady Fatima Bio”, the Sierra Leone Telegraph is now aware – two years on, of a rebuttal published on social media by Sierra Loaded last week, believed to be from Mrs Fatima Bio’s office, refuting the allegations made by Foday Morris.

In the spirit of fairness and assuming that the rebuttal letter published in Sierra Loaded is indeed from Fatima Bio’s office, the Sierra Leone Telegraph feels obliged to publish her side of the story. To this end, Mrs Fatima Bio wishes to state the following in response to the allegations in Foday Morris’s story:

“1. H.E. First Lady Dr. Fatima Maada Bio has never met or spoken to the erstwhile APC Secretary General, Ambassador Osman Foday Yansaneh, in her entire life. She does not know him. She has never been introduced to him. She has never met him.

“2. It follows from the above that she therefore cannot be said to be in any form of Business Partnership with Ambassador Osman Foday Yansaneh.

“3. It further follows that Ambassador Yansaneh cannot be said to be engaged in “leaking sensitive APC information to Mrs. Fatima Bio” as the two people just don’t know each other and have never communicated with each other.

“4. The First Lady does not know the son of Ambassador Yansaneh named Mugabe. She has never taken any photograph with the said son.

“5. The First Lady has no business dealings with either the allegedly fraudulent “African Link Company” or its alleged successor company. She has no shares in any such business.

“6. It therefore follows from #5 above that it is patently false to assert in your publication that “First Lady Fatima Bio took over [African Link Company] without due process of the country’s procurement regulations”.

“7. It also follows that it is patently false to publish that the First Lady of Sierra Leone Fatima Maada Bio gave or received shares to or from Osman Foday Yansaneh.”

Editor’s Note

Neither Osman Yansaneh nor his son, has responded to or commented on the story published in 2021 by the Sierra Leone Telegraph and other media outlets.