COURT MARTIAL TRIAL:(EPISODE 11)…
10th October 2024.
In Episode 10, we looked at several issues, including the involvement of Sorieba Mansaray in the November 26 coup and the circumstances in which he lost his life.
II. In today’s episode, we will continue to look at how the deceased Sorieba Mansaray, together with the jailed Staff Sergeant Ibrahim Thorlu Bangura, alias Tiger (the 21st accused in the just concluded court martial trial involving the state versus Staff Sergeant Alhaji Koroma and 26 others), coordinated the execution of the coup.
III. In the said trial, the prosecution tendered 12 audio messages to show the conversation that took place between the two conspirators shortly before the execution of the coup on the night of November 25 last year.
IV. In their conversation, both Sorieba Mansaray and Staff Sergeant Ibrahim Thorlu Bangura discussed the involvement of George Adams in the coup. The two conspirators also discussed the movement of loyal troops, who were patrolling the streets of Freetown that night to deter the coup. The conspirators further discussed the deployment and concealment of their colleagues inside the RSLAF armory facilities of the Joint Logistics Unit (JLU) at Murray Town Barracks.
During the trial, Staff Sergeant Ibrahim Thorlu Bangura, alias Tiger, raised the defense of alibi, arguing that he NEVER CAME TO FREETOWN at the time of the coup.
VI. To disprove his defense, the prosecution tendered his call log to show the various locations where he was in Freetown at the time of the coup.
VII. At the end of the trial, Staff Sergeant Ibrahim Thorlu Bangura, alias Tiger, was convicted of all 40 counts, including the murder of Lieutenant Colonel Wilfred Sao Samai (the then Military Chief of Operations). Consequently, Staff Sergeant Bangura was given the maximum jail term of 120 years.
VIII. Until his arrest with regards to his role in the Coup, Staff Sergeant Ibrahim Thorlu Bangura was one of the military personnel assigned to guard former President Ernest Bai Koroma, who has also been charged for his involvement in the Coup, with four counts of TREASON and MISPRISON OF TREASON and two counts of HARBOURING. The other military personnel who was also assigned to the security detail of the former president was Corporal Yapo Sesay. He is currently on the run as a result of his complicity in the coup.
IX. With regards to his own role, George Adams (who was a Supreme Council Member of the then AFRC military junta) has also been facing trial at Freetown High Court No. 1, presided over by Acting Chief Justice Browne-Marke. He has been charged with three counts of treason, misprison of treason and murder.
X. With regards to the offense of murder, George Adams is accused of unlawfully killing a Corrections Service personnel (Third Class Obi Isaac Johnson) during their attack at the Male Custodial facility along Pademba Road in Freetown.
NOTE:
The prosecution tendered 12 audio messages to prove that both the deceased Sorieba Mansaray and the jailed Staff Sergeant Ibrahim Thorlu Bangura had a one-to-one conversation about the coup shortly before it was executed on the night of November 25 last year. All the 12 audio messages have been combined in one audio clip, which accompanies this episode.
Major Yayah Brima,
Media Operations Officer,
Headquarters, Joint Force Command, Cockerill Barracks,
Freetown.
Phone/WhatsApp: 078 452 876
