Sierra Leone Telegraph: 4 January 2016
Dr. Alie Kabba – the outspoken opposition politician held captive as a political prisoner by the Koroma government in Sierra Leone, is expected to appear in court today in Freetown.
According to the government, he will be answering charges relating to the alleged offence of bigamy, brought by a government minister, though they are both divorced.
Political commentators say that this case has gone into the annals of Sierra Leone’s sad history of political misgovernance and injustice.
Kabba was first arrested for thirty-six hours – just before Christmas, and was granted bail after agreeing to surrender his passport and travel documents.
But he was then picked up again from his home late at night by the police, despite his strict compliance of his bail conditions and taken into solitary confinement at the notorious Pademba Road prison, where he is denied visits from relatives and doctors.
Alie Kabba is a fierce critic of the Koroma government’s poor record in office.
On New Year’s Eve, Alie Kabba was whisked off to a magistrate court for over seven hours, where he faced a barrage of questions that had nothing to do with his marriage to the government minister Diana Konomanyi (Photo).
After facing what was described by those present at the court house as seven hours of mental torture, Kabba was denied bail by magistrate Seray-Wurie who is widely regarded as a politically compromised magistrate.
He was then taken back to Pademba Road prison to continue his solitary confinement.
Kabba is expected to appear in court again this morning, and it is hoped that this would be his last appearance in what is now clearly a case of political victimisation, vindictiveness and rough justice.
Supporters of Kabba say that ‘after all, both the government and the estranged wife Diana, have achieved their pound of flesh and should now free Dr. Kabba’.
It is understood from unconfirmed sources that there have been behind the scene negotiations to convince Alie Kabba to sign a statement accepting blame and to apologise to Miss Konomanyi, so that he could be acquitted of the charge of bigamy, but on the condition that he will refrain from discussing the case.
But Kabba believes he is a political prisoner. He continues to protest his innocence and is accusing the government of infringing his human rights and civil liberty.
This is a statement issued today by Ansumana Vandi representing the global campaign to free Alie Kabba:
“Last Thursday on New Year’s Eve, when many people were busy with the holidays, President Koroma and his APC government jailed Dr. Alie Kabba for the second time in two weeks and denied him bail, even though bail was initially granted last week. He is currently held in solitary confinement at a maximum security prison in Freetown.
“The people are planning a peaceful protest to demand Dr. Kabba’s release, but the APC government is planning to deploy heavy-armed paramilitary police around the courthouse today, January 4, 2016, to prevent and intimidate the people from exercising their constitutional rights to free assembly.
“Please continue to support the campaign to free Dr. Kabba.”
Click here to sign the petition calling for his release:
At a time when the country is supposed to be finding ways to alleviate poverty, we are busy watching a fight between the governors and the governed.
Such trivialities only shift focus from realities of the day. I thought Sierra Leone is bigger than this “connectocracy” politics.
It’s a degeneration of our political value, signifying a big failure on the part of the government.
Sounds like the judiciary does not chase Criminals. If it does, it would have captured a minister who admitted forging a certificate for some body and admitted to lying on somebody’s faith in order to gain a high position still remained a minister though with a small ‘m’ in my book.
From my own experience with the judicial system in Sierra Leone, not only will Alie Kabba be forced to apologize but the apology will be written for him. He’ll be instructed on how the apology needs to be issued and will not be freed until he follows these instructions to the letter.
Mr. Kabba will have to decide if he wants to fight the system or be free. These are the tactics used to strong arm anyone who speaks out against the injustices in that country. Those who are well placed in the society use the judiciary system to intimidate and abuse people.
I really hope Mr. Kabba will fight, but this system is set up to fatigue you and drain your resources. You can only maintain the fight with an incredible amount of support. If Mr. Kabba does not relinquish, don’t be surprised if a delegation goes to meet with his people. These people have to be seen as winning at all cost; even when they’re not.
They will even threaten Mr. Kabba’s life and only God knows if they’ll make good on the promise. Proceed with caution. These are extremely unethical people.