By Saio Marrah
Amadu Koita Makalo, retired RSLAF soldier has been named as the “master planner and commander” of the assailants, who undertook a failed coup in Sierra Leone on Sunday November 26th 2023.
Sergeant Michael Sankoh, an investigator attached to the Military Police, revealed this on Friday 9thFebruary, 2024, while reading the voluntary caution statement of the first accused in the ongoing court martial, Staff Sergeant Alhaji Koroma.
Led in evidence by state prosecutor, Captain Yainkain Ballay Kamara, of Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF), Sergeant Sankoh told the court-martial that on the 28th of Novemberlast year, he joined a team of investigators at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headquarters in Freetown and obtained statement from the accused.
According to the statement, Staff sergeant Koroma, who had already pleaded guilty to nine out of 32 count charges levied against him told investigators that sometime in August 2023, he was posted to a patrol base as the officer in charge in a village, called Fudia, close to the Guinea border in Kambia district, but before that he received a phone call from one Koita, who told him that he was calling from London.
Two months later, he received another call from the same man who then asked him about his deployment location, which he - Koroma said was Barmoi Lumor also in the Kambia District.
He said Koita then asked for his Orange mobile money number, saying he wanted to send some money for him (Koroma). He said he gave the number and later in the day he did receive a sum of One Million Old Leones (Le 1,000,000), from Koita.
In his statement Staff Sergeant Koroma said “within the same period, I received a phone call from one Sergeant Kamara alias Amerikin… attached to the 5 battalion headquarters at Wilberforce Barracks, Freetown. While on the phone with Sergeant Kamara, he asked me whether I knew one Amadu Koita. When I replied in the affirmative, Sergeant Kamara then told me Koita wanted to confirm whether he (Sergeant Kamara) knew me.”
He said on another occasion while at the patrol base, Amerikin called again to inform him that Koita would be sending money to him but that the money was meant for both of them. He said he received a sum of NLe 2,600 on the same day and shared it with Amerikin.
Staff Sergeant Koroma told investigators that in October last year, “While at the Fudia base, I received a phone call from Amadu Koita informing me of his plan to overthrow the government of President Julius Maada Bio. He told me that he was in this together with Leather boot, a former military man and Kabba, a former police officer, who happened to be a driver to former president, Ernest Bai Koroma.”
He added: “Amadu Koita continued by saying that if his plans succeeded, he will emerge as head of state of Sierra Leone. He assured me that he had other officers and men of the RSLAF including ex-military personnel, who were willing to assist him in accomplishing his mission.” Staff Sergeant Koroma at that point named Captain Senesie of 5 battalion at Wilberforce, Captain Jalloh of 15 battalion at Lungi and others who were with him.
He said it was on that note that he was able to talk to the 5th accused, Corporal Thalie Marah, from 11 battalion in Kambia District who also posted to another border patrol.
According to his statement “About a week later, Amadu Koita, called me on a phone to inform me that I need to travel to Makeni to see a herbalist by the name of Pa. Sesay, who is preparing spiritual charm in order for me to take part in the operation. He told me that other colleagues have already visited Pa. Sesay for the same ceremony.”
He said in the same month of October, he went to the shrine where the herbalist gave him a belt and a piece of cloth which he was to use on the day of the operation assuring him that he would be protected.
He said: “On a date in November 2023 that I cannot now recall I received a phone call from Koita asking me about the amount of arms and ammunition I had at my location. I told him that I had arms and ammunition in the store only and that I couldn’t take them out without the knowledge of my personnel.”
Staff Sergeant Koroma said Captain Jalloh then promised to give him NLe 3,000 if he made the weapons available to them upon which he said, he managed to take out eight A.K. 47 with 15 magazines each with 30 live bullets and placed them in three charcoal bags in his room.
He said on the night of Thursday, 23rd November, he was instructed by Captain Jalloh to transport the bags to the old NP filling station in Kambia, where they were waiting.
When Koroma, Corporal Marah and others arrived, they met Captain Jalloh, Leather boot, Amadu Koita, Kabba and others and they left for Portloko with Marah and others transporting the weapons to Lungi.
He said together with Koita, Leather Boot they went to the shrine in where Koita received his protection, and returned to Lungi, where they attempted to obtain other weapons but were unsuccessful.
He told investigators that on the night of Saturday 25th November 2023, Captain Jalloh mobilized about 20 additional soldiers who joined them and they crossed the ferry to Freetown and subsequently used different means of transport to Murray town junction, from where others departed for Wilberforce barracks.
Staff Sergeant Koroma said his own troop was stationed in the room of one of their colleagues called Janneh with the intention of attacking the military base there.
He said when his colleagues attacked Wilberforce barracks, someone outside raised an alarm and called attention to them and there were now soldiers outside, who had wanted to break the door to gain access to them. He said Leather Boot took a shot at the door and made his way out and others in the room also did the same.
He said when he got out he saw Leather Boot on the floor by the gate, blood oozing from his chest, while others escaped and that he went into hiding in the area before he was captured.
Koita is 1st accused in a separate trial for treason in relation to the same November 26 failed coup.
Copyright © 2024 Politico (12/02/24)
