By Saio Marrah
Twenty-seven members of Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) have appeared before a Court Martial in Freetown on eighty-eight counts related to security breaches.
The charges include, mutiny to overthrow the government, failure to suppress mutiny, aiding the enemy, communicating with the enemy, committing civil offence, and stealing of public or service property, fraudulent misapplication of public or service property.
All the accused persons were other ranks in the RSLAF, with the exception of a Lieutenant- Colonel.
The indictments were however not read out to the accused persons because one of them reportedly fell sick in court during the initial hearing on Monday 8th January 2024.
A Legal Aid Board Lawyer, Ibrahim Bangura, representing majority of the accused persons, earlier informed the court that the ninth accused, was suffering from an ailment. The accused was taken out of the courtroom.
The court-martial was presided by an advocate judge, and senior Magistrate Mark Ngegba, who after taking oath, later swore in seven military personnel as court members.
The presiding judge advocate told the court it was a pretrial. 52 witnesses have been assembled for the court-martial proceedings.
During the course of the trial, Ngegba dismissed an application filed by Julian Cole that the prosecution should present an abstract of the evidence against the accused persons, emanating from the investigation.
The Director of Public Prosecution, Osman Ibrahim Kanu, led fifteen state prosecutors including eight military officers.
Ady Macauley, Julian Cole, Melron Nicole Wilson, and host of others are representing the accused persons.
Ady Macauley pleaded with the court for a day to be given to each of the accused persons because according to him, they could spend the rest of their lives in prison if found guilty.
Julian Cole representing the 7th accused told the court-martial that his client, a Lieutenant Colonel, was not comfortable appearing before the court-martial in civil clothes.
He further noted that his client was not comfortable being detained at a civil facility.
The soldiers were among those arrested after attacks on the Wilberforce Military Barracks Armoury in Freetown, the Murray Town Barracks, Cockerill Military Headquarters and several Police stations, on Sunday 26th November,2023.
Inmates at the male and female maximum correctional centres were then then set free. Eighteen security personnel were killed by the assailants, with the authorities confirming three deaths on the side of the attackers.
Events that day were later interpreted by authorities as a coup attempt.
Former President Ernest Bai Koroma and some civilians were the first to docked in relation to the attempted coup.
Copyright © 2024 Politico (10/01/24)
