Sierra Leone Telegraph: 5 January 2016
Dr. Alie Kabba has this afternoon been freed on bail after few hours of court room drama that no Sierra Leonean should be proud of.
It was a sad and shameful display of the naked abuse of power and incompetence, by a magistrate believed to have been handpicked by State House to adjudicate in a case that should never have taken this long to conclude.
But such is justice in Sierra Leone. And the US based lawyer Alieu Iscandri was not spared the ugly wrath of magistrate Seray Wurie either.
Listen (below) to both Alie Kabba and Alieu Iscandri speak to Umaru Fofana, about the erosion of justice, civil liberty and human dignity in Sierra Leone.
Iscandri was arrested in court this morning on the orders of magistrate Seray Wurie, on a trumped up charge of contempt of court.
The magistrate accused Iscandri of posting a message on his facebook page, saying that Alie Kabba has been freed on bail.
According to the magistrate that was the crime committed by Iscandri who himself is a member of the ruling APC party.
Sierra Leone is seriously heading for disaster. A nation where lawlessness has even found its way where it does not belong – the court of law.
When you hear of cases like this in Sierra Leone you begin to wonder what has happened to a country that was once full of so much promise after the war.
But many in the country may perhaps take solace and find inspiration from both Alieu Iscandri and Alie Kabba for standing up for justice and civil liberty in Sierra Leone.
Dr. Alie Kabba is this evening free on bail. But the struggle to free Sierra Leone of poor governance and impunity continues.
Supporters and well wishers of Alie Kabba played a big role in securing his release today, after hundreds marched outside the court house in Freetown, in defiance of the strong presence of armed security officers.
Listen to Alie kabba speak to Umaru Fofana about appalling conditions at Pademba Road prison for thousands of young people locked up without any hope:
And Listen to Lawyer Iscandri speak to Umaru about injustice and impunity in Sierra Leone today:
Alie Kabba’s brief moment of freedom:
Absolutely, Sierra Leone will be a better place without the APC and SLPP. These two parties are no better than the other. They have brought the nation down to its knees as they take governance by turn.
There is nothing to be proud of in terms of progress achievements since our independence under these parties, and as such had outlived their usefulness in this country. A new political party spearheaded by dynamic leaders of high calibre with clean track records, such as Dr Alie Kabba, Kandeh Yumkellah and all patriotic Sierra Leoneans is the solution to place the country on track.
Do you know that Sierra Leone would be a better COUNTRY without APC and SLPP?
We are now a new Nation, so the old parties must give way to new. Why are we so deaf and Dumb to know this simple truth. What is there in the APC or SLPP to be proud of?
Can all the GOOD persons from both parties jump ship and form something that will bring us all to progressive politics devoid of intra and inter- Party squabbles?
Let us as a Nation carry our National DESTINY in our Heads, not in our hands anymore. Let’s give APC and SLPP the RED CARD for DANGEROUS POLITICS .
We are a New Nation, so the old and outdated parties must go. I know SLPP since 1955 and APC since 1962. Trust me, the country ceased to be a Nation just after independence, and at the end of SIR MILTON MARGAI’s Government to be precise.
We, here in Chicago, are so relieved to see Dr. Kabba released. It is such a shame to see a man so committed to empowerment going through such an experience. It will only embolden Dr. Kabba to do what’s right for his nation.
We wish him the very best!
From a legal point of view, had Dr. Kabba answered the invite by the CID, all what is now happening in the country would not have happened had Dr. Kabba done the right.
Dr Kabba decided to ignore a simple request and that resulted in his arrest. This is not a political issue but a legal matter. LET IT BE TREATED AS SUCH and much to the dismay of many Sierra Leoneans, Alieu disrespected his profession by openly denouncing the judge’s decision.
Alieu should have done what an attorney would have done by following the proper protocol – file a writ. That is indeed a just punishment for you Mr. Iscandri.
Well its looking now like Alie Kabba has become the most popular and well-liked politician in the country.
He has garnered a large number of followers in sympathy to his victimisation by the government. And his brilliant oratory has not gone unnoticed either. The best SLPP has.
The man is so eloquent, even under terrible personal circumstances. He fears no one, despite risk to his safety. If SLPP knows whats best, they will elect Alie as their presidential candidate for 2017.Bio may have brawn, but Alie has shown he has brain and is made of steel.
APC have unwittingly given Kabba a political platform which he has made fantastic use of to launch his political campaign. And everyone in salone now knows Alie Kabba and what he stands for. He has gained street cred here in Freetown, especially among the youths.
I think he comes across as a more honest and passionate leader who would promote the rights and wellbeing of everyone in this country.
Alie Kabba for president and Kandeh Yumkella as his running mate is the best option now for SLPP.
And so it begins, the mouthpieces of the criminal Ernest Koroma pursuing their “more time agenda”.
Make no mistake about it folks. Ernest Koroma fully intends to stay in power until at least 2020 and is laying the groundwork to achieve this goal. The divided and ineffectual opposition is in no position to stop him.
What a disaster for Sierra Leone! A time of acute suffering and pain for our people is around the corner.
Where are the flag-bearer aspirants within the APC, John Sisay and Super?
Mr. Sisay is of course being manipulated and used by his so-called “cousin” who has no intention whatsoever of stepping down at the end of his term – and is clearly too stupid to see what is being done to him.
John Sisay does not even own a home in Sierra Leone and has been living in a house rented by Sierra Rutile for donkeys years. He has been spending all of his hard earned money on currying favour with the powers that be on the mistaken belief that he will be crowned president.
Disaster for him and for Sierra Leone is around the corner.
Read this and weep:
http://cocorioko.info
President Ernest Bai Koroma is slowly losing his legitimacy to rule ‘all’ of the people of Sierra Leone. And if he continues on this current war path of impunity and dictatorship, he will find that he has absolutely lost all legitimacy.
And in the event that he resorts to the use of political violence, which then plunges this country into anarchy and chaos, the military may see it appropriate and legitimate to intervene.
In such scenario, though no one prays for this, the military would be obliged to call for free and fair elections and hand over power to an elected government.
Yes, Koroma has established a well armed battalion of about 500 presidential guards, but he must remember that the international court and the international community will hold him personally responsible, should he unleash his foot-soldiers on his own people.
A warning therefore to Koroma: Do not violate international norms and laws. Stay within due bounds of the country’s constitution, otherwise you will find yourself doing life sentence, courtesy of the people of this country and the International Court.
President Obama’s Arab Spring campaign was created because leaders in authoritarian states were denying the democratic freedoms and rights of the opposition, and unleashing pain and suffering on their own people.
Sierra Leone is fast approaching this point where an Arab Spring-like protest may be necessary.
No one is calling for violence in this country, but at the same time, no one wants to see a return to dictatorship, brutality and the erosion of civil liberty by this government or any other government.
Be warned sir,: Stay within due bounds of constitutionality and the laws of Sierra Leone, you will be fine.
I strongly agreed with Jonah jonjo that, to remove a useless and corrupt leader like Ernest Bai Koroma might require a coup d’état that could be strongly supported by the international community, if the soldiers’ main goal is to restore democracy and to clear themselves from the corruptions and brutality of the current APC government.
What a sad and entropic situation hovering in Sierra Leone, where people that matter are now being politically targeted, imprisoned and abused at the wish of the President.
Let the citizens rise up and call for the immediate resignation of the Commander-in-Chief Ernest Koroma. For he is causing much harm and havoc in every tribe of the country. Certainly, the people are fed up with his leadership style. DOWN WITH THE KOROMA GOVERNMENT.
By the way, where are his cronies including Cocorioko Kabs Kanu on this? Please do not be tight lipped; say something. Shame on you!
Thanks be to God that Dr. Kabba is free. We are now looking forward to the correction of the greatest error in judicial time, for the chief Justice to arrest a seasoned lawyer Mr. Alieu Iscandri.
Release him tomorrow before dawn. We need justice that cuts across the fabric of society and the nation, irrespective of tribe, party affiliation, religion, etc.
Sierra Leone is gradually going back to the dark days of injustice, corruption, tribalism, extreme poverty, employment based on region, tribe or political connections, income inequality with few (2%) enjoying and deeply buried in the agenda for prosperity and 98% in abject and absolute poverty.
In a government where one man is the sole decision maker, we are seeing deep regional divide with one area regarded as the stronghold developing at the expense of other districts and regions.
When a government silences those who criticize its actions, that government is heading for a failure and loss of credibility at local, national and international platforms. That government will give rise to dictatorship and one party system.
This was how late President Siaka Steven started and plunged this nation into the darkest brutal period in record time. All those who stand to oppose his rule were sent behind bars, some ran away and others silenced by notorious killers – Highway and his gang.
Stevens initiated an extension of his years in office to an extension of terms and later declared a one party state. But where is he today.
Dictators always start well, simply to get people on their side. And once that is done, they act without consulting and sack people at will, arrest others on their single instruct and quick to review constitution to their advantage.
One thing I do know is that death awaits all, irrespective of power, wealth or connection.
Today it is Dr. Kabba, tomorrow it maybe you or me. The civil societies in those days that were very proactive and vocal are no more active. They have been buried in their desire to bite from the national cake.
The international community too, seems to be inactive and are like dogs that bark, but cannot bite.
Now is the time for the SLPP aspirants to come together and organize themselves with Maada Bio as flag bearer and KKY as the running mate, to defeat this dictatorial regime of the APC.
We formed similar coalition to defeat the APC old time aspirant – the Kuyembehs in Yawie by bringing all seven aspirants against the Kuyembehs. With money and support, they were boasting of one go without a run-off, but they were put to shame and disgracefully defeated.
We need to form this type of coalition to remove the APC from power. The motives of the APC is to have this last term of President Koroma extended to 2020, followed by election in that same year; create another district in Kamakwie after the census; and lastly to be allowed to contest for a third term.
Gbessay, did you intentionally type that, “Now is the time for the SLPP aspirants to come together and organize themselves with Maada Bio as flag bearer and KKY as the running mate, to defeat this dictatorial regime of the APC”?
If so, you just undercut the strength of what would have been a very wonderful response.
By having Maada Bio as its presidential nominee (I hate using the term “flag-bearer” because it smirks of centurion times), the SLPP would just be inadvertently strengthening the very “dictatorial regime of the APC”, rather than weakening it.
Don’t let pragmatism be the lone voice in the wilderness!
Thanks to all that contributed to the release of Dr. Alie Kabba.
Locking up Alie Kabba in prison on trumped up and bogus charges has only served to make the state of our Criminal Justice system a political issue during the next presidential election.
There is no better teacher than experience, and this I am sure will now form a key focus of Alie Kabba, Kandeh Yumkella and the coalition’s campaign.
To the lunatics within the APC, you have given us the torch light to shine on another dark aspect of Sierra Leone’s public life.
No amount of intimidation and collusion with Julius Maada Bio will stop the inevitable. Your time is up and the people of Sierra Leone will not countenance Maada Bio.
It seems the only way the useless and corrupt president Koroma will leave office is by a coup d’état and that may be coming. He may find himself out of office before the end of his term.
He belongs behind bars with Charles Taylor and his ilk. “World’s Best” thief and womanizer. Wicked man.
Free, free at last. And big up to the release of Alie Kabba. He’s the best for the SLPP party and the one that can take APC out of power.