By Saio Marrah
The voluntary caution statement of the 5th accused in the ongoing treason trial has indicated that Amadu Koita Makalo entered the home of Alimatu Hassan Bangura 15 minutes before a team of CID officers and soldiers reached the property.
Detective Inspector Mohamed Awaru Yahayah Kanneh, the 6th prosecution witness read out the statement in court saying the former police officer told him she knew 1st accused Koita back in 2016 when he (Koita) was locked up at the CID while she served as lock officer. She said she knew Koita through her colleague from IPAM, who introduced Koita as her brother and urged her to look over him while in police custody.
Since then, she said, she had not been in communication with Koita until the year 2020 when she received a call from the United Kingdom the caller introduced himself as Koita and promised to marry her, but she refused the proposal, adding that she had to block the UK number.
The 5th accused said in November 2023, she received a phone call from someone who introduced herself as Marion asking for (fifth accused) address and she told her she lived in Sumaila town. She said she remained in communication with Marion until the 4th of December 2023, when she sent her child to buy insecticide and her child forgot to lock the front door while she (accused) was in the bathroom. The accused said the lights went out and she heard her children living room saying someone had attacked them.
According to her, as she approached them, she saw Koita holding the children threatening that if she (the fifth accused) shouted he would kill the children. At that moment, she overheard a colleague at the CID, Freitznun Joshua Moosa, who shouted her name asking her to open the door, but that she was afraid to do so due to the threat from the first accused, Koita.
The statement says the security forces persisted in opening the door of her apartment by which time Koita pushed her children into the room, while he (Koita) rushed into the kitchen.
The accused told the police that when the security forces came in, she was the one who directed them to the kitchen where Koita was hiding and that a soldier went into the kitchen and brought him out.
According to the witness, the soldier who brought Koita out of the kitchen did not recognize him until another soldier came in and identified him.
The statement further indicated that the 5th accused offered her handcuff to the security forces to arrest Koita and that the security forces arrested both of them and brought them to the CID.
The trial resumes on 21st February 2024.
Copyright © 2024 Politico (16/02/24)
