COURT MARTIAL TRIAL (EPISODE 8)
24th September 2024
1. In Episode 7, we highlighted the complexity of the 9th accused, Staff Sergeant Idrissa Kallon, in the bloody November 26 Coup. He was the man who revealed the intention of his co-conspirators to attack President Bio at his state lodge.
II. In today’s episode, we will look at the issue, “Who would have emerged as Head of State if the coup had been successful?”
III. In the just concluded court martial trial involving the state versus staff Sergeant Alhaji Koroma and 26 others, the prosecution tendered both pictorial and audio evidence to prove that the 20th accused, Sergeant Fofanah Kemoh, was part of the grand scheme to overthrow President Bio.
IV. In the pictorial evidence, the 20th accused was seen with Amadu Koita and others in Mapaki Village before the coup. When CONFRONTED with the evidence, the 20th accused denied his image. When asked to identify the other persons in the photo, he told the court that apart from Amadu Koita, he did not know the others.
VI. The prosecution further tendered audio evidence in which the 20th accused was heard referring to Amadu Koita as “SUPREMO” and updating him about the MODUS OPERADI of the loyal troops.
VII. On the night of the bloody November 26 Coup, the 20th accused was part of the loyal troops QUICKLY MOBILIZED to repel the assailants at Wilberforce Barracks. While in the midst of the troops, the 20th Accused was constantly communicating with Amadu Koita on the operational activities of the said troops.
VIII. In the said audio evidence, the 20th accused had this to say to Amadu Koita: “Supremo, I have made two attempts to move towards the place [the armory], but the men [loyal troops] are still firing towards me, and I have my weapon with me. So, I want to wait until first light. But please, whenever I call, pick up your call. They intend to mobilize men. If they do so, I will inform you immediately.”
IX. The audio evidence confirmed that if the coup had been successful, Amadu Koita would have emerged as Head of State, as the 20th accused was already referring to him as “SUPREMO.” As a coded military word, “SUPREMO” means “PRESIDENT.”.
X. In fact, in his voluntary caution statement, the 1st accused, Staff Sergeant Alhaji Koroma, corroborated the fact about Amadu Koita’s presidency after the coup. “In October last year, I received a phone call from Amadu Koita telling me that he had a plan to overthrow President Bio. He then disclosed to me that if the plan were achieved, he would emerge as the next President of Sierra Leone,” the first accused said.
XI. At the end of the court martial trial last month, the 20th accused was also slain with a maximum jail term of 120 years after being convicted of 18 counts of mutiny, conspiracy to commit mutiny, failure to suppress Mutiny, murder, conspiracy to commit murder, aiding the enemy, communicating with the enemy, stealing of public or service property, fraudulent misapplication of public or service property, and conduct to the prejudice of military discipline.
NOTE:
Both the pictorial and audio evidence were retrieved from Amadu Koita’s phone after his arrest.
Major Yayah Brima,
Media Operations Officer,
Headquarters, Joint Force Command, Cockerill Barracks, Freetown.
Phone/WhatsApp: 078 452 876
