July 9, 2021
By Ilyasa Baa
The Ministry of Marine Resources has put out a public notice debunking speculations that the ministry has hand in the death of a Korean investor who was head of Chung Gang Fishing Company. He said to have reportedly committed suicide recently.
According to the notice, the Ministry is launching a full scale administrative Inquiry to come out with the facts.
The Deputy Minister of Information and Communications, Solomon Jamiru has called on members of the public to come out with relevant information to help in the inquiry. He said government is concerned over any loss of life that is why the inquiry is set up to establish the facts without relying on speculations, he noted. He assured that the investigation will get into the bottom of the issue adding that Sierra Leone is a country of law and order. He said it has been established that the deceased struck a payment plan with the Ministry of Marine Resources in respect of violation of the Inshore Exclusive Zone (IEZ) by five of his vessels.
The reported suicide note, it could be recalled, trended on social media leaving speculations that the foreign investor was ill treated by officials of the Ministry of Marine Resources. Meanwhile, the setting up of an administrative inquiry has been widely welcome by members of the public.
According to local fishermen in the Peninsular, they see nothing wrong in punishing anyone who defaults. They expressed that illegal fishing by industrial vessels has been a problem leading to the scarcity of fish and other marine products.
In Sierra Leone, the protection of our marine resources and the livelihood of the local communities warranted a ban on vessels to fish in the IEZ.