Fatima Bio & Family accused of $2.1M Estate Development in Gambia

Barely hours after a ding-dong battle between the First Lady of the Republic of SierraLeone, Mrs. Fatima Bio, and Koidu Holdings Limited, a shocking revelation emerges by a investigative Media firm, Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, OCCRP, about the real estate development of the First Lady and her Family in Gambia.

The report alleges that since President Julius Maada Bio became President in Sierra Leone in 2028, his wife Fatima Bio and her close relatives have acquired luxury properties in Gambia. It is indicated that the First Lady had bought five properties in Gambia-including one which was alleged to have purchased in her mother’s name. It  adds that the first Lady half-brothers have also purchased Gambia properties -bringing the relatives’ spending to a total of at least $2.1 million on at least ten real estate transactions carried out between 2020 and 2024.

According to sales record and other documents obtained by OCCRP, between May 2022 and February 2024, Fatima Bio acquired two villas, an apartment building, and a flat in Gambia — a country 1,000 kilometers up the Atlantic coast where she previously lived. Her mother is also listed as the owner of a luxury villa that was purchased for half a million dollars in the same timeframe, while Fatima Bio’s two half-brothers either snapped up properties or were able to begin construction on land that had lain undeveloped for almost two decades.

The OCCRP report also referenced a document showing a top SierraLeone government contractor that signed key paperwork for three of the properties, including the villa owned by the first lady’s mother. When reached for comment, the person in question, denied any involvement in the purchases, the report states, adding that the First Lady failed to respond to questions put forward by the Journalist.

According to Gambian property and tax records obtained by OCCRP, Fatima Bio and her relatives spent just over $2.1 million on at least 10 properties, almost all of which are located in affluent neighborhoods and tourist hotspots.

In her facebook page, Fatima Bio, denied the allegations, and challenged the investigative firm to produce evidence of the properties alleged to have been owned by her and family in Gambia. She posted, saying that: “Taking pictures of houses and claiming ownership without documentation as proof is poor journalism. No amount of blackmail will shut me up. Pay your workers the salaries due them. Your first attempt is not working. Try hard next time”, she busted out.

The First Lady statement sends a clear message that there is something cooking against her, especially when she fights for the rights of the workers of Koidu Holdings. Logically, the First Lady was pointing fingers at Koidu Holdings for being the sponsors of what she described as ‘baseless allegations’.

Her media handlers also challenged the report and argued that the First Lady had become rich before entering into governance.  “Fatima Bio was famous and hardworking African actress, entertainer, who had amassed wealth before becoming the First Lady. At age 24, the First Lady purchased property in Gambia”, a close Aide to the First Lady whispered in one social media forum.  But couldn’t explain vividly what was the First Lady savings and income when she was an hardworking actress, and how many properties she acquired before she had become the First Lady of SierraLeone. An attempt to explain details of the First Lady savings and properties owned during her actress days would have helped to sweep the allegations under the carpet easily, one Social analyst opined.

Following reactions from the First Lady over the allegations, the Investigative Journalist for the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, Josef Skrdlik, twitted that Fatima Bio, had been given ample time to address the findings in the investigation before they were made public. “Her Excellency First Lady Bio might want to read my investigation first-her apparent doubts would be answered. Besides, OCCRP shared all the findings with her on April 16. She had weeks to respond, but chose silence”, Skrdlik reveals.

As things stand, no official statement has been issued by the office of the First Lady and this has created room for the allegations to be considered as true by many people, even though pro-supporters of the First Lady have debunked and considered the allegations as false.

A Political Commentator interviewed by this press opined that  the publication of Press release from the First Lady Office in respond to the allegations would serve as a strong voice to debunk the allegations, and has the tendency to convince many people to believing that the allegations are designed to distract and frustrate the First Lady from concentrating in the fight for the rights of the Koidu Workers.