Roaming Pen: Haja Afsatu’s Lawyers did visit State Lodge
My attention has been drawn to a press release issued by two primary defence lawyers of Haja Afsatu Kabba (in photo) – Fode M. Dabor and Sulaiman Tejan-Jalloh.
Initially, I was perplexed over the attacks launched against my credibility as a professional investigative writer until I realised the two lawyers were trying to save face by making a play on words. A clever semantic by the lawyers is to ‘re-state’ what I never actually stated.
They are not denying being at the State Lodge with Haja Afsatu Kabba but they were denying that it was at MIDNIGHT. But, who ever said anything about MIDNIGHT? Certainly not me!
They were not denying holding discussions with the President but they were denying discussing the trial itself with the President.
See their play on words?
If they want to deny, let them simply say on their letterhead that no meeting took place rather than say no meeting took place at MIDNIGHT when I never used the word MIDNIGHT.
I am proud to say that following my publication, at least one distinguished personality in this country has confirmed to me that he saw them both with Haja Afsatu Kabba up at State Lodge in late June at the height of the trial. This is in addition to my State Lodge gate security sources.
Meanwhile, my State Lodge security sources have informed that it was Lawyer Fode M. Dabor who returned to State Lodge few days after the first meeting; to be precise, on the night of Thursday 24th June 2010 between the hours of 7:30pm and 9:30pm when he again was granted audience with the President but without Haja Afsatu Kabba.
Meanwhile, the burning questions begging answers are yet to be answered by these two members of the bar and let me hasten to note some of them in the ensuing.
Why did Fode Dabor and Sulaiman Tejan-Jalloh so passionately support the motion not to present a single defence witness in the Afsatu trial against the advise of other defence lawyers like Blyden Jenkins-Johnston, Osman Jalloh, Elvis Kargbo and Yada Williams? Did Blyden Jenkins-Johnston ever write a bitter letter against this advise?
Will the two lawyers, honourable members of the Bench be prepared to swear to an affidavit that they were never at State Lodge with Haja Afsatu Kabba in June this year?
Just say it straight as Honourable Officers of the Court and Members of the Sierra Leone Bar Association if you were ever up at State Lodge in Late June this year during the height of the Afsatu Kabba Corruption Trial.
Did you visit State Lodge during the height of the Afsatu Trial? Yes or No?
If the above questions are not responded to in a timely manner, I will like to welcome the Independent Media Commission (IMC) and the General Legal Council (GLC) to institute an independent investigation into the matter to prove, between the two lawyers and my humble self, who is fabricating stories to fool the public.
By Abdul Karim Fonti Kabia, Freetown
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