Mines Minister Survives Alleged Assassination Attempt
The attempted assignation of Sierra Leone’s Mines Minister has raised serious concerns over mining deals with Chinese company, Leone Rock (Kingho Mining Ltd). Sierra Leone’s Minister of Mines, Timothy Kabba, has been involved in a fatal car accident that has resulted in life-threatening injuries, including multiple broken bones on his legs and other parts of his body, in what has been described as an ‘assassination attempt’, amid a looming showdown over the country’s fabled mineral riches involving rival companies, including a Chinese backed company, Leone Rock (Kingho Mining Ltd), who sits on a mountain of iron ore.
Timothy Kabba’s car was “attacked” in what may have been an assassination attempt, amid pending mineral deals, according to multiple sources. The Minister of Mines’ car was hit on its right front wheel, where the Minister was seated, as he was traveling on the Bo-Kenema highway. He suffered multiple broken legs and has been flown abroad for emergency medical surgery.
It has been reported that the attack on Minister Kabba was an attempt to get rid of him to give the Chinese a free ride into the mining sector, as they have already corrupted the sector with bribes to certain government officials. However, others have urged caution in apportioning blame and have requested a probe into what really happened. Minister Kabba has been known to be outspoken against the exploitation of the country’s mineral resources by foreign investors, with little or no benefits to the people of Sierra Leone. He has also pursued powerful figures seeking to grant mining deals to the Chinese-backed company, Leone Rock (Kingho Mining Ltd).
The attack coincides with the Minister’s signing of a contract with the new company to take over the Pepel Rail and Port. A concerned citizen working in the Mines told this writer he had received information from a source on Wednesday about an assassination attempt on Timothy Kabba. He said associates of the Minister had been given this information and advised to take security precautions.
