November 10, 2021
By: Audrey John
Family sources have confirmed the death of 41-years-old Mohamed Koroma, popularly known as ‘Done Pole’, which sad event took place at the Emergency Hospital at Goderich, West of the capital Freetown, in the early morning hours of Sunday, November 7th, 2021.
Medical report is yet to ascertain the cause of death, but the late man took ill following allegations of being shot at close range by an Operational Support Division (OSD) officer of the Sierra Leone Police Force known as Julius Amara at the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) headquarters in Freetown on the 29th June 2021 at around 3:45 pm local time.
Sources say there were altercations at the time between and amongst party supporters in the realm of intra-party politics when an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting was held at the SLPP headquarters to set up the rules for the conduct of primary elections at zonal, constituency and regional levels.
The winners in that election will serve as delegates in the national delegates conference scheduled to take place later this year. So, there was a popular show of allegiance for top contending candidates for the national executive positions of which Dr. Prince Alex Harding and Jimmy Batilo Songa stood out for the National Chairmanship position of the party.
Sources say he was at the camp of Dr. Prince Alex Harding when he used to serve as his driver. The late man before he died said he served Dr. Harding as a loyal driver and drove him throughout the country during the hit of the campaign leading to the 2018 presidential and parliamentary elections for a meagre two hundred thousand Leones (Le200,000) which less than fifty dollars US$50.0 for a take home salary.
“When we (SLPP) won the elections, it dawns on me as a beacon of hope for a pay rise. However, Dr. Harding would not yield to a change of salary scale. Instead, he opted to pay me five hundred thousand Leones (Le500, 000) equivalent to fifty dollars US$50.0 salary and I could not take it any longer,” said ‘Don-Pole’ who spoke to a team of journalists while he was admitted at the Emergency Hospital where he was responding to treatment for gunshot wounds.
The late man said he named his son after Dr. Prince Harding as he reflected on hopes to have it cordial with his former boss. However, it turned out that Dr. Harding could not appreciate the gesture and rendered no financial favor in return for such an honor.
“But for Jimmy Batilo Songa who was contacted at the umpteenth hour, he boosted me with some cash for the naming ceremony which I appreciated a lot,” the deceased recounted.
‘Don-Pole’ decided to join Jimmy Batilo Songa who is a rival to Dr. Prince Harding, vying for the same National Chairmanship position. He said he was dismayed at the fact that top party officials could not pay him a visit when he was admitted to the emergency hospital for treatment except when his story was aired at Radio Democracy following which President Bio and other officials visited him.
On his side, Dr. Prince Alex Harding denied the point that Don-Pole was his driver. He was speaking in a radio interview with Radio Democracy FM 98.1 on the issue for the first time. Even though he acknowledged the late man who was brought to serve in some capacity, he said Don-Pole did not have the requisite qualification to be his driver. Be that as it was, Dr. Harding said he was magnanimous enough to pay him the sum of One Million Leones monthly, which is equivalent to a hundred dollars US$100.
The point of controversy, however, remained on the wounds inflicted on the deceased. Dr. Harding claims he did not order his bodyguard; OSD Julius Amara to shoot at anyone, while admitting that the deceased was the one who tried to murder him with a sledge led chain. The deceased maintained that, in the presence of one Hassan, Dr. Prince Harding ordered his bodyguard to shoot and kill him.