Sierra Leone Telegraph: 3 June 2019:
Opposition All People’s Congress member of parliament – Mohamed Bangura is tonight a free man, after the intervention of his APC parliamentary colleague – Chernor Bah MP and the efforts of the Human Rights Commissioners, who went to the CID to broker his release this evening.
It is not clear whether he has been released on bail; and if so, the terms and conditions of his bail; and also whether he will be charged at a later date to appear in court.
The Human Rights Commission has also come out with a statement condemning last Friday’s violence, which took place at the APC head office, involing members and supporters of the APC and the police. This is what they said:
Based on some information, Mohamed Bangura was trying to prevent some of the protesters from throwing stones at the police, so I believe that he has learnt a lesson from his own confrontation with the police in parliament when he ended up at the Choitram Hospital.
But sadly the Incitement-in-Chief of the APC who is supposed to perform his duty with class as National Publicity Secretary (Cornelius Deveaux) is now missing in action. I personally believe that as a Creole man, he was smart enough to avoid the building to incite his APC supporters (mainly countrymen) through AYVTV, with the plan to escape the tear gas and police arrest. So I guess he is now hiding under Aunty Modupeh”s bed while the Sorieba’s and Momodu’s are paying the price in jail.
Good to hear Mr Bangura is once again a free man. He should not feel remorse or sadness for going through such a terrible ordeal, but rather, should become more emboldend in standing up more fearlessly against injustice. Blatant abuse of power is a traumatic experience Sierra Leoneans will continue to live with for a very long time, because the frequent occurrence of dark and troubling events, should be considered as signals, that the rainbow of Hope, has long been removed from the skies of Africa.
This is exactly one of the reasons why men like Paul Biya, Yuweri Museveni, Uhuru and others, are cautious and doubtful of the motives of opposition and continue to cling on to power. They are fully aware that once the baton of power changes hands, all hell will break loose and every one will have to run for cover!
So against all prudent reasoning and sensible advice, they stubbornly refuse to hand over power – better to be safe than sorry. Who can blame them? I would like Comrade Bangura to remember that power resembles the eight tentacles of a giant octopus, that is endowed with unimaginable strength and one shouldn’t confront it alone,but in the company of courageous warriors with swords drawn. Only then will victory against the monster of injustice, can be assured. Rising Sun Will Rise Again.