By Foday Moriba Conteh
The increasing reports of isolated physical attacks on persons found to be gay seem to have no end in sight, as the recent case of Kalie Kargbo indicates.
News reaching this medium revealed that in Kobba Farm at Jui East End of Freetown, Kalie Kargbo, has come under serious intimidation and harassment from members of his family and the community after being caught practicing homosexuality with his male partner Musa Koroma of which both the Sierra Leone Police, community stakeholders and the community youths have mounted a round the clock search for Kalie Kargbo who is now declared wanted by the Sierra Leone Police.
Kalie Kargbo who hails from an Islamic background was not expected to practise this act especially when his family was well known by members of the community as religious people.
Both national and religious laws in the country totally forbid individuals from practising such act. Community members were completely disappointed at Kalie Kargbo’s action, which they noted goes contrary to their customs and traditions.
According to a resident of Kobba Farm, Alie Kanu, and who had known Kalie since childhood said he had been very secretive about his sexual orientation since they were early teenagers until he (Kalie Kargbo) was caught having sex with his male partner.
According to an in-depth investigation mounted by The Calabash Newspaper, Kalie Kargbo was living at Kobba Farm in Freetown with his family. Kalie has been a childhood friend to Musa Koroma who happens to be the son of the Kobba Farm community chief but it was unknown to the community that the two has been practicing homosexuality.
On Tuesday 8th March, 2022, the community Chief of Kobba Farm community, Chief Pa Alimamy Koroma caught Kalie Kargbo red-handed having sexual intercourse with his son (Musa Koroma) in his room. Upon seeing this unfortunate incident the Chief decided to take the law into his hands by physically assaulted Kalie Kargbo who sustained injuries during the process. After some minutes of clash between them, Kalie Kargbo was able to escape with wounds on his body.
After he narrowly escapes, Chief Pa Alimamy Koroma revealed the unfortunate incident to the community, and he further reported the matter to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) at the Jui Police Division. Few hours later Armed Police Officers ransack the residence of Kalie Kargbo in order to arrest him but he was already in hiding and because of disappearance the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) at the Jui Police Division has declared him wanted.
It was also revealed to this medium that the irate community youths went to Kalie residence with stones, sticks and chanting “We will Kill him Today” to physically and violently Kalie Kargbo because they said both national and Islamic laws totally forbid individuals from practising such act of which they were completely disappointed at Kalie’s action which they noted goes contrary to our customs and traditions and they were doing it with a view to send the message to other people that such activities are not tolerated in the community.
It against this backdrop that a friend of Kalie Kargbo who is Saidu Kamara decided to help him in order to him to live the country immediately because he has already been declared wanted by the Sierra Leone Police.
Family sources however told this medium that after this unfortunate incident Kalie escaped to an unknown destination and since then his whereabouts remains unknown.
Other family members have expressed serious concern about his safety.
