Sisters of Sheku Bayoh Write to First Minister over Comments of Kenny MacAskill
22 October 2015 - SACC
The following letter was sent to the First Minister today:
Dear First Minister,
Re: Kenny MacAskill
We are writing in regards to the recent comments and statement from the former Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill MSP.
We the family of our late brother, son, brother in law, cousin and uncle Sheku Bayoh found those comments brutal and barbaric. It gives us no hope of truth and justice in Scotland.
Our family has voted SNP in the past two elections with the hope for equality and social justice. The recent statements of the former Justice Secretary, make us wonder why the current Justice Secretary has said that he cannot comment ‘because the case is under investigation’ when other Members of Scottish Parliament have done so.
Why did Mr MacAskill decide to speak and give a clear judgment of the case without being privy to the CCTV or any of the actual evidence?
Why did he state that there was no criminality, that it was an accident, and that there would be nothing other than an FAI?
We would like your office to investigate the bullying, the intimidation and crushing of all hope of truth and justice for our family.
As you may have also have been aware Mr MacAskill has attacked our family lawyer, Aamer Anwar, openly on social media. Please note that he is our lawyer and acts on our instructions. We will not sit back to watch him be attacked in this manner, because certain parties do not have the courage to attack us directly.
It would be better if Mr MacAskill concentrated on the police- if they have nothing to hide then they should have had the decency to reveal the truth on the first day, rather than hiding away for 32 days.
We will not rest until we get justice. We would request a meeting to discuss police accountability in general, with you and the current Justice Secretary, at a time and place convenient to you.
There are other victim’s families who would also be interested in meeting with you.
Yours sincerely,
Kadijartu Johnson, Adama Jalloh, Kosna Bayoh
Sisters of the late Sheku Bayoh
