Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources, Timothy Kabba was allegedly caught threatening the Managing Editor and Publisher of Future Newspaper, Moisa S. Keikura in a telephone conversation saying, “you are a dead man.”

The minister was reacting to a letter sent to him by Mr Keikura asking questions about the termination of the agreement with Leone Rock Metal Group managing the Pepel Railway and Port facilities.

Also, the newly-signed agreement between ARISE IIP which automatically takes away the responsibility of managing the railway and port facilities from Leone Rock to ARISE IIP without ratification of Parliament.

It is against this background that Citizens Forum for Democratic Accountability (C4D) in a press release raised the issues against the Minister of Mines and his cohorts for terminating the railway and port management contract with Leone Rock and handing it over to ARISE IIP without going through due process.

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Among the issues raised by C4D are that there is an existing agreement between the Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL) and Kingho Railway regarding the maintenance and rehabilitation of the port and rail facilities.

In addition to the above, the Mines Minister acting on behalf of the GoSL failed to grant the six months advance notice to Kingho. This anomaly was the reason the Managing Director of Future Newspaper questioned the Mines Minister

It is noted that Moisa Keiikura has written letters of complaint to the relevant authorities including the International Committee to Protect Journalists (ICPJ) stating the fact that his life could be in danger following the threat by Sierra Leone’s Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources, Timothy Kabba.

He said, “I am especially concerned because this is the election period and such words coming from a Minister who belongs to the ruling SLPP party cannot be taken lightly. I am therefore calling on all bodies that are there to protect life and especially the lives of journalists to please come to my aid. (Klonopin) ”