BY: MOHAMED SAHR
On the ongoing treason matter at the High Court of Sierra Leone, sixth accused person Hassan Leigh was arrested in a military uniform with a pretext of being a serviceman of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces during the 26th November attempted failed coup in a testimony of Prosecuting Witness RSLAF 18166142 Warrant Officer 1 Samura attached at the Joint Proposed Unit located at Godrich Barracks in Freetown.
RSLAF 18166142 Warrant Officer 1 Samura made the testimony before Justice Komba Kamanda and jurors.
He said on 26th November 2023 at about 08:00GMT, hw heard an announcement over a loud speaker stating that all military personnel at the Goderich Barracks should report at the Military Police post, he immediately dressed in his combat uniform and converged at the said location.
Warrant Officer 1 Samura told the court that on his arrival at the premise, he met some senior military police officer including Lieutenant Colonel P.D Conteh attached at the Ministry of Defense. “I paid compliment to them and sat at the side of Lieutenant Colonel P.D Conteh,” Samura said.
He added that few minutes later, he saw a motorbike that made a stop and he saw a man dressed in a combat uniform that jumped from the motorbike. Noting that the unknown man started making remarks in Krio depicting that “no senior officers will work in the army”.
Samura furthered that he had to focus on the individual for some minutes in order to know his identity and hear much from him.
Eventually he said, reaching at the particular point where the remark was coming from, he established the identity of the individual to be Hassan Leigh, the sixth accused person.
When asked about how he knew Hassan Leigh, he said he came to know him in 2021 when he was also arrested and brought to the military police station for an unauthorized wearing of military uniform imposing the rank of RSLAF Major, one of the charges similarly levied on him.
Warrant Officer 1 Samura disclosed that after thorough interrogations and cautions, the sixth accused pronounced a fake registration number which was 18172580, which the Prosecuting Witness Samura and his colleague Colonel P.D Conteh examined that the number was deemed as unauthenticated and fake.
RSLAF 18166142 Warrant Officer 1 Samura said Hassan Leigh confessed that he did not serve the military but he happened to be a civilian and a forest ranger.
Based on his confession, RSLAF 18166142 Warrant Officer 1 Samura took a photograph of him as evidence. Samura told the court that he immediately arrested him and handed over to Sergeant Kanu at the Goderich military police station.
However, Hassan Leigh, the sixth accused person was not having any legal representation during the testimony period.
Justice Komba Kamanda gave Hassan Leigh to cross examine RSLAF 18166142 Warrant Officer 1 Samura. The sixth accused said the motorbike that was sported belonged to Sergeant Fadika and Sergeant Fadika took him to the Goderich military police station.
He said RSLAF 18166142 Warrant Officer 1 Samura ordered his men to forcefully wear the uniform which he was photographed.
Lawyer Ahmed Bockarie served as defense counsel.
Justice Komba Kamanda adjourned the matter on 14th February 2024.
The double Chief prayed fervently for the Honorable to thrill more in his capacity adding that if he continues in that vein, he does not doubt his mind that the sky will eventually be the limit for the Honorable.
He advised the Honorable to put more premium on what he has started ranging from the advocacy and lobby to construct the Kenema -Zimmy Highway, empowering the youth particularly the BRUs in the chiefdom with motor bikes, offering scholarships to excellent NPSE and BECE pupils, buying of university forms for WASSCE pupils with requirements to universities and more.
The victims though in anguish, yet smiled again for the benevolence of their MP.
They said that even though the visit of their MP was not timely because they prayed for his arrival in joy, they remained grateful for his empathetic move.
