Labourer, Santigie Kargbo aka 31 working for the Economic and Commercial Embassy People’s Republic of China at Hill Station, has graphically narrated to Awoko, how he was allegedly stabbed by his Chinese boss Mr Wang.
The lad pointed to a black tread on his freshly stitched head, which exposed a fresh wound on his temple, crying out, “this is where they stabbed me … I ended up receiving six stitches at the Satellite Clinic.”
He explained, “I was among a group of labourers who were sacked at the Embassy, by Mr Woo – our Chinese boss.”
“We were informed that the reason for our dismissal was because there were too many of us labourers,” he said.
Trying to wink his swollen right eye as if to alleviate the pain, but grimacing from the exercise, Santigie said, “we then left the Chinese premises for Regent to scout for jobs at the International Military Assistant Training Team (IMATT), but luckily for us we saw a cement truck which hired some of us to offload the cements for our former employer at the Chinese Embassy.”
Santigie continued, “I took a bag of cement from the truck and headed for the store inside the Chinese compound.”
“As I entered the store I met a Chinese electrician, Mr Wang who recognised me and asked me out.
“I begged him to let me offload the cement before leaving, but he refused and insisted that I most go out,” he said.
“No sooner I tried to place the cement on the floor, Mr Wang pushed me, I then hit my side on some iron rods that were dangling on the porch of a structure at the site and fell,” the labourer said.
He went on, “aggrieved! I got up and pushed him and he went and snatched a bottle, he charged towards me, I managed to disarm him. We then struggled for a while, before being asked out by the truck driver.”
“I was about to leave the compound when, he dashed at me with a sharp piece of iron rod and hit me on my temple,” Santigie explained.
The poor labourer admitted he was later taken to the Satellite Clinic by Mr Woo, where he received six stitches.
Later he said, “I reported the incident at the Congo Cross Police Station and a police statement was obtained, after which I was issued a medical form to see the police doctor.”
When Awoko visited the scene to cross check the story, the Chinese workers made sign languages to indicate that they do not speak English.
Efforts to get Mr Woo proved futile and his deputy angrily refused to speak with Awoko.
However a Sierra Leonean worker who asked not to be named complained that they are constantly maltreated by their Chinese bosses.“They would not hesitate to hit you with whatever they are holding if a feud ensued between you and them,” he helplessly alleged.
Another worker explained that he had an accident while working, so he had to take leave for a few days, adding that when he resumed work they refused him his leave days’ wages.
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