Cocorioko prides itself in being an investigative newspaper and that is the reason that we are the biggest, most widely read, and most trusted source for accurate news on Sierra Leone. We are not a perfect newspaper and no human institution is ever perfect. We have our shortcomings but as a bold, defiant, aggressive, and uncompromising voice of the people, we do our best to limit or eradicate mistakes in performing our job to ensure that we remain as credible and trustworthy as might be. (Photo: Sierra Leoneans gathered to protest).

Yes, anybody riled by the needless shedding of innocent blood by President Bio and fed up with his tyrannical presidency would have definitely justifiably jumped with excitement at the news that the International Criminal Court ICC had invited President Bio to a meeting at the margins of the forthcoming United Nations General Assembly. The excitement was heightened because on August 14 instant, a group of Concerned Sierra Leoneans Worldwide had staged a massive demonstration at The Hague and presented a petition to the Prosecutor of the ICC, Hon. Karim AA Khan KC, calling for an investigation of Maada Bio for crimes of extrajudicial and politically motivated killings by the Bio government.

However, amidst the excitement that we all expressed, COCORIOKO still decided to do its job as a newspaper with credibility and live up to its reputation of being an investigative bastion of journalism. We worked our phones frantically to call officials of the ICC, the United Nations, and international diplomats and the result of our investigation is that Sierra Leoneans jubilated too early. Bio may yet get into trouble with the ICC. The petition to the ICC will definitely be reviewed and the ICC will definitely get back to the patriotic and Concerned Sierra Leoneans Worldwide who submitted it, but Sierra Leoneans may have to wait a little more for that answer. (Photo: ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan KC).

BAD NEWS: The ICC invitation to President Bio may not be related to any investigation of President Bio by the ICC. And there are many factors related to this fact. First, the ICC does not operate as many Sierra Leoneans thought. Inviting the head of state of a country to a meeting at the margins of the UN General Assembly is not the procedure in the operations of the ICC in such a situation. Second, when a petition is presented to the ICC, there is a time frame for a response. The ICC will definitely respond and in that letter, they will inform the Concerned Sierra Leoneans Worldwide that they have received their petition and will look into all the issues in it and that if there is any merit, they will act on them.

They will however inform the petitioners that receiving their complaints is not an assurance that they will consider the case. Third, the ICC, through the Rome Statute, prosecuted three major crimes: war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. Aggression against a neighbouring country has now been added to it. However, the threshold established for these crimes to be prosecuted by the ICC is very high (I will have to write a special article on this). For crimes against humanity, for instance, the crimes have to be widespread and targeted. I will elaborate in Part 2 of this article.

So, that is the bad news. I would have hesitated to share my findings after my investigations but I consider my credibility and respect more important than the expected bashing from supporters of the SLPP, who operate by their own rules and once they have marked you out as somebody against the doings of their party, will hound you even for doing the right thing. My credibility and respect are however more important so SLPP supporters can go on and insult me for my initial excitement, which I consider normal for somebody who detests the needless blood President Bio has shed in Sierra Leone. I am satisfied that I have done my job to the best of my ability. I seek no praise or applause for doing my job. What is important to me are my credibility and respect. SEE PART 2 coming.

Editor’s note: Abu Shaw, the publisher and editor of the Organiser newspaper was integral in the petition letter presented to the ICC on August 14, 2023, in Den Haag (The Hague). The ICC, upon receipt of the petition complaint against the illegitimate Maada Bio, immediately confirmed receipt of the petition by giving the Concerned Sierra Leoneans Worldwide CSLW a note of acknowledgment on the spot. I did not deliberately make this part and many parts of the meeting public. Overall, it was a huge success in The Hague. No surprise, four days later, the ICC invitation letter was written to Maada Bio. However, maybe, maybe not as our senior colleague Mr Kabs Kanu has adduced, anything is possible.