Youth Demand Explanation from Brig. Maada Bio

                   C/O Faculty of Physics and Computer Science, Njala University College; Tel: 079-689419

The youth of this country who were mainly the combatants in the nasty civil war our country fought between 1991 and 2002; and have been mainly those who would be used and abused by politicians during elections; in recent years, the hope of youth have been restored due to visible rapid development all over the country, and due to our media being one of the freest in the developing world, it is in this vein that the youth view with grave concern the information that has been going around the country that risk our country relapsing into its Darkest Days.

We therefore ask that the  Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), and its presidential candidate, Retired Brigadier Maada Bio,  urgently explain in great detail the news circulating around the country, and international wire, that while he was Chairman of the NPRC, he sold, or, gave authority to be sold, Sierra Leone’s passports to foreigners; and  $380,000 (three hundred and eighty thousand U.S. dollars!) of his own share of the  corrupt deal were transferred through electronic means through The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited  by largely one Frank Yiu, of KN 1605  Central Plaza, 18 Harbour Rd.  Wanchai, Hong Kong, into these bank accounts of the SLPP Leader, Brigadier Julius Maada Bio (rtd):

1.        Meriedien Biao Bank, Accra, Ghana

Account Number: 105019201

2.        TSB Bank, Channel Islands, Ltd

Offshore Centre

St. Helier, Jersey JE 4 8XV

Account Number: 503400

3.        Midland Bank Trust Corporation (Jersey) Ltd

28/34 Hill St. St. Helier, Jersey JE4 8 NR

Channel Islands

Account No: 81219001

We also draw the attention of, and humbly ask for immediately explanation from, the local civil society groups, and the  international community on this matter, especially Election Observer teams like the European Union, the Carter Center, the African Union, Society for Democratic Initiatives, Election Watch, Sierra Leone Association of Journalists, Civil Society Movement, Society for Democratic Initiatives, Coalition of Civil Society and Human Rights groups, 50-50, youth and women groups,  Sierra Leone Traders Union, Sierra Leone Teachers Union, National Union of Sierra Leone Students, etc.: Can a man who has such a dark, and apparently, illegal past, not besmirch the entire democratic process in the world if allowed to become a serious candidate in a presidential elections?  Shouldn’t there be a court injunction on Brig. Maada Bio (rtd) to allow him time to explain this potentially scandalous issue to the Sierra Leone, and international, public?

The youth also want an explanation on whether it is true that because of the stigma of human rights abuses on the SLPP leader, and presidential candidate, the U.S. government of President Barrack Obama, has refused to grant him a visa to visit the United States; and, the youth demand an explanation from all learned citizens, and relevant stakeholders, what would be the implication for the youth of the people risking the election of a person who has been made a  pariah by the most powerful country on earth.

Sheku F Sheriff