Court Martial Hearing: Witness Says he was Captured By Koita & Others
By Feima Sesay The 25th prosecution witness Leutinant Coniel Sheik Ahmed Sandi, has on Thursday 14th March 2024 revealed before Judge Advocate Mark Ngegba that on the day of the incidents he was captured by Koita, and others and put under gun point. Lead in evidence by the prosecutor Cornell Mohamed S Kamara, said he is the commander Joint Provoke Unit, adding that his duties are to support the military operations in terms of traffic control, insecurity, conduct investigation that lies between the arm force and Sierra Leone police and he is also responsible for regulating the conduct of military personnel. Coniel Sandi furthered that On 25 November 2023, he was at home when he received a call from Leutinant Coniel Sannoh, the commander in charge of operation at Murray town at 10pm informing him that all the joint force commanders should assemble at Cockril headquarters. He said prior to that date, he had arrested three soldiers for the offense of assault who were in guard room. He said he was also ordered that night to release the said soldiers for an operational patrol that night. He said he was told that they should go on security partrol as there was an intelligence that Freetown would be attacked. He said the commander joint force at Cockril headquarters requested to see him immediately and he ordered major M. Conteh officers commanding to effect the release of the soldiers in custody. Witness Coniel Sandi continued that he then instructed Staff Sergeant John Conteh to join him at Cockril headquarters which he did. He furthered that while at the headquarters, all joint force commanders and all western areas commanders were summoned to the meeting including the commander of 5 Battalion Leutinant Cornell Yamba seventeen accused. The witness furthered that the accused then came to the joint force commander who told him in his presence and the presence of other officers that there was an intelligence that Freetown was going to be attacked that night and as commander of 5 Battalion he should ensure that his arm and ammunitions were protected and that he should beef up security of his unit and be on alert. He continued that the instruction to be alert to protect the arm store was specifically given to the 17th accused and thereafter, the other commanders were addressed and instructions were generic to every commander of protecting arms and ammunitions and security. He said the commander joint force directed that they should provide arm patrol to join up with the police to conduct security patrol on that night. Cornell Sandi added that every commander left for their unit but he stayed at the headquarters joint force because he was tasked to probe the escort military personnel who were going to police headquarters to conduct patrol. He said he then released a set of arm military personnel led by major M. P Conteh who escorted the partrol vehicles to police headquarters. He said while at the headquarters, he received a call from one of his soldiers Lance Coporal Yakumba who was at Wilberforce and he told him that unknown person has entered into the barracks and were about to break the amory store. He said Coporal Yakumba specifically made reference to a soldier who was on duty and was disarmed. He said he then asked Coporal Yakumba if they were firing and he said no but they disarmed them. He said at this point he did not raise an alarm and he drove in his private car to Wilberforce but at that time situation was normal. Witness Sandi furthered that he then called Yakumba again to confirm if what he said was true and he told him that the people had now moved to the arm and ammunitions store and they were trying to break the store. He said he did not proceed further but found a way to park his vehicle and he called Yakumba again and this time he heard some sounds at the background which he said was the sound of breaking at the store of the arm and ammunitions. He said upon hearing that sound, he immediately called Leutinant Coniel Yamba seventeen accused on his phone since it was his unit to know whether he is at his office and Coniel Yamba answers and told him that he was in his office. The witness furthered that he then told Coniel Yamba that he had information that unknown men were breaking into his arm and ammunitions store and if he was at his office he should move with his personal to repel the attackers and he responded that he would move his men to repel the attackers. He said after few minutes without hearing any shots from Wilberforce, especially office of Coniel Yamba, he called him again to tell him that he was very close to his office and he could hear sound from far so he requested again that he moved his personnel to repel the attackers. He said the distance between Coniel Yamba officer to the arm force is 300 meter. The witness furthered that when he made the third call to Coniel Yamba he did not pick up and at this point he called the commander joint force Major General Dauda Alpha and brigadier Idiara Bangura, Coniel Kosowa and other officers that were on patrol and informed them about what was going on at Wilberforce. He said he then requested that the patrol team return back to Wilberforce to repel the attackers. He said he called the Director of the Presidential Guards Force Cornell Farma and also informed the authorities concerned and they promised to be at the scene to respond. He said after that he heard the first shot of RPG within the barracks and the sound came from the arm store. He furthered that at that time Yakumba sent him a text on Whatsapp that the assiliants were trying to leave the barracks to go outside. He said he received a call
