By Amin Kef Sesay
The controversial Chairperson of one of the oldest political parties in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Sierra Leone People’s Party,(SLPP), which constitutes the current ruling Government headed by President Julius Maada Bio, Dr. Prince Harding, popularly known as The Bullet, may not presently be at ease simply because he has been associated with cold-blooded murder of one, Mohamed Koroma, popularly known as ‘Done Pole’, a 40 years old man said to be his former driver, which sad event took place at the Emergency Hospital at Goderich, West End of Freetown, in the morning hours of Saturday, November 6th, 2021.
From various accounts, this medium learnt that Dr. Prince Harding’s current nightmare all emanated from an altercation that took place at the SLPP Head Office in Freetown on the 29th June 2021 at around 3:45 pm local time 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.
Winners in those elections will then have to serve as delegates in the National Delegates Conference scheduled to take place later this year. Important as they are, popular show of allegiance for top contending candidates for the National Executive positions, of which Dr. Prince Alex Harding and Jimmy Batilo Songa are contesting for the National Chairmanship position of the party ,do count a lot.
It was understood that Don Pole was in Dr Prince Harding’s camp while he was a driver, but his loyalty ceased when it became apparent that the politician was obdurate to raise his salary from five hundred thousand Leones.
This medium also understood that push came to shove when nothing was done by Prince Harding towards the naming ceremony of his former driver’s newly born baby child, even those the mother of the deceased had informed the politician that they have decided to name the child after him.
The two aforementioned reasons were what actually embittered the late Don Pole who then decided to pitch camp with Prince Harding’s rival Batilo Songa, whom according to accounts financially supported the naming ceremony of the child.
It was said that the fracas became so heated at the party’s Head Office to such an extent that it was alleged Dr. Prince Harding allegedly ordered an Operational Support Division (OSD) officer of the Sierra Leone Police Force known as Julius Amara to shoot the deceased. It was said he fired at close range and later rushed to the Emergency Hospital where he was hospitalized until he passed away on the 6th November,2021.
The late man, it was reported, remained frustrated till death because he was disappointed that no top brass SLPP personality paid him a visit except President Julius Maada Bio.
Against the aforementioned backdrop, Dr. Prince Alex Harding in a recent interview with Radio Democracy FM 98.1, during the popular Gud Morning Salone Programme, on the issue denied the point that Don-Pole was his driver.
Interestingly, during the radio discussion cum interview program, the point of controversy heated up over the wounds inflicted on the deceased.
Dr. Harding claimed 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.
However, it was put to him that the deceased, before his death, maintained in the presence of one Hassan, that Dr. Prince Harding indeed ordered his bodyguard to shoot and kill him.
Another interesting thing that emerged during the interview was that the mother of the late man recounted instances of incidents when Prince Harding has threatened his son stating that she tried her best to advice her son to stay away from the politician and he assured her that he will stay away from him.
Another controversial aspect of the whole issue borders around the Sierra Leone Police stating that the deceased was stabbed when on the flip side the medical report stated that he was shot with a gun.
Dr Prince Harding was invited by the Criminal Investigation Department of the Sierra Leone Police Force for questioning, was detained but later released.
As of now the mother of the deceased is calling for justices were as the mother of the late man’s child is also calling for welfare support.
One of the ardent and hardcore grassroots party supporters by the name of Abravo intimated The Calabash, in a short interview, that they are not pleased with Prince Harding’s action. “After Don Pole has served him faithfully over the years that was how to tell him thank you by instructing that he should be shot,” he lamented adding that they also want justice for the late man. “We will ensure that the late man gets justice because he died unfairly,” Abravo vowed religiously.
According to a seasoned Political Commentator it now seems that the political career of Dr.Prince Harding is hanging in the balance.
