By Feima Sesay
Staff Sergeant Mustapha Turay, a prosecution witness in the ongoing Courtmartial trial, has on Tuesday 2nd April 2024 disclosed before the judge advocate Mark Ngegba and members of the board that ‘,Leather Boot’ was found at the 12th accused Corporal Alie Kamara alias (charm am raw) residence at Murray Town barracks.
Led in evidence by Principal State Counsel Yusuf Sulaiman Koroma, the witness Staff Sergeant Mustapha Turay said he is now attached at the Lungi Garrison Barracks but during the time of the alleged incident of the failed coup, he was attached at the Joint Logistics Unit at Murray town as a Plato Sergeant.
He furthered that he was in charge of the arm store.
He recognized the 4th accused Staff Sergeant Abu Dauda, 6th accused Edward Koroma, 12th accused Coporal Alie Kamara and the 24th accused Rashid Koroma.
He furthered that he was deployed at the JLU between 22- 26 November 2023.
Staff Turay said on 25 November 2023, at around 10-11 PM, he left the facility where he was deployed to buy energy drink at a restaurant adjecent Murray town barracks.
He said upon arrival at the restaurant, he met his colleagues Sergeant Janneh who is now on the run and Abubakar Turay the twenty three accused, adding that they were together when Sergeant Janneh and him bought food and they all ate together.
The witness furthered that he was with them for 20 minutes and he left them and returned to his duty post.
He added that upon his return at his post around 1am, he woke up to gun shots coming from Wilberforce end, adding that he alerted the rest of the soldiers and they reinforced and fortified the guard posts.
He said during the time shooting went on all night at Wilberforce and at around 6:30am in the morning, he was still hearing gun shots at Cockril and also a heavy gun shots at Murray town area with large blast of RPG.
The witness furthered that the patrol commander at Murray town Leutinant Coniel Charles ordered him to distribute ammunitions to his colleagues, adding that they all signed for the weapons giving to them.
He said few minutes later they got an information that the 6th accused Edward Koroma should be brought for questioning.
He said the information stated that accused Koroma has information in his iPad about what happened in Freetown.
He said the patrol commander Charles instructed him and other military personnel to bring the 6th accused to him which they did.
He added that they were ordered by commander Charles to disarm him which they did including his iPad, adding that the partrol commander browsed through the iPad in his presence and other military personnel and they saw series of sacrifices performance done by the 6th accused and the other assilants.
He said the accused was taken for questioning at the office of the commander, adding that in their presence the 6th accused admitted that he was part of the assilants and he was ready to call colleagues who were also part of the coup.
Witness Turay in his testimony said the accused in their presence called the 4th accused Abu Dauda through his phone as one of the assilants and he picked his phone and asked him where he was and Abu Dauda responded that he was at Cockrill and the called ended.
The witness furthered that they were on the interrogation with accused Koroma when they heard another heavy gunshots at the Murray town area followed by heavy shooting.
He said soldiers were running everywhere and later some military officers informed him that they were doing room searching at the barracks and during the search they found leatherboot in the room of the twelveth accused Alie Kamara alias “Cham am Raw” and also another unidentified person who is still on the run.
He said after they had captured them, the shooting cool down and they went and stood under a ‘Cain Stick’ close to JLU room.
The witness furthered that they saw one woman from a ‘pan body structure’ spying on them and they became suspicious and they decided to enter her house to search.
He said during the search they saw the 24th accused Sergeant Rashid Koroma twenty one retired Coporal Woodie and they brought them outside and ordered them to lie down on the floor.
He said they took them to the commander and later a vehicle came along and carried accused Koroma, Woodie and Rashid Koroma including Leather Boot to Cockril headquarters.
He furthered that he made statement to the military police officers twice.
The matter was adjourned to today 3rd April 2024 for further hearing while the accused persons were remanded in prison.
