BY MOHAMED SAHR
Sergeant Michael Sankoh, the fourteenth (14th) witness attached to the Joint Force Command at Wilberforce Barracks, read the statement made by the first accused person before “Judge Advocate” Mark Ngegba at court number two of the High Court of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Freetown on Friday.
Sergeant Sankoh informed the court that during the process of obtaining statements from the first, eighth, sixteenth, and twenty-first accused persons, the first accused mentioned that two months prior, he received a call from Amodu Koita inquiring about his whereabouts, to which he responded that he was staying in Kambia. “Amodu Koita then sent me one million old Leones to my Orange Money number as pocket money,” the statement revealed.
Furthermore, Sergeant Sankoh relayed that according to the statement from the first accused person, Amodu Koita disclosed to him that he and “Ledder Boot” had a plan to overthrow President Julius Maada Bio, and if successful, the first accused person would become the head of state.
Before that, Sergeant Sankoh stated that Amodu Koita asked the first accused person if he was acquainted with Sergeant, also known as ‘Ameriken’, to which the first accused responded affirmatively.
The witness continued to read that Amodu Koita also sent two million Old Leones to be shared between the first accused and Sergeant ‘Ameriken’.
Additionally, Sergeant Sankoh added that the statement detailed how the first accused person planned to transport eight (8) AK47 rifles and fifteen magazines concealed in charcoal bags to Kambia NP filling station.
Moving forward, Sergeant Sankoh mentioned that after agreeing to transport the arms and ammunition, the accused stated that Amodu Koita informed him that someone from the 15th Battalion in Lungi would assist the first accused person.
Moreover, Sergeant Sankoh read that on November 23rd, 2023, around 7:30 AM, the first accused received a call from Captain Jalloh instructing him that if he succeeded in transporting the arms and ammunition, he would receive three million old Leones as a reward.
Following the reading of the statement from the first accused person, Judge Advocate Mark Ngegba adjourned the matter to Wednesday, February 14th, 2024, to allow the defense counsels to cross-examine the witness, who served as an investigator attached to the military police department.
The state prosecutors included Captain Y.B. Kamara, A.B. Koroma, Captain S.M. Sesay, among others. The defense counsels were Ibrahim Bangura from the Legal Aid Board, Ady Macaulay, I.A. Kamara, J. Cole, among others.
