By Audrey Raymonda John
In a dramatic turn of events at the High Court in Freetown, defense counsel Sigismond Conteh, representing Amadu Koita Makolo in an ongoing treason trial, accused the prosecution of attempting a “trial by ambush” by serving critical documents outside of visiting hours.
Conteh made these damning submissions before Justice Komba Kamanda and a panel of jurors on Wednesday, February 14, 2024. He contended that his client was served with a document, extracted from his phone, at 8:00 pm, well past visiting hours, without proper confrontation during the investigation.
According to Conteh, the document contained transcripts of conversations allegedly from his client’s phone, to which he was not given an opportunity to respond. Given that Makolo has been in custody without access to his phone, Conteh argued that the prosecution’s actions were unfair and prejudicial to the defense.
The defense sought an adjournment to properly examine the documents and prepare for cross-examination of the witnesses intending to present them.
In response, state counsel Ahmed James Bockarie defended the prosecution’s actions, stating that the documents were served within the legal time frame to the authorities at the correctional facility where Makolo is held. Bockarie asserted that the accused had been confronted with the contents of the documents during the investigation.
Moreover, Bockarie clarified that the conversations in question were extracted from the phone of another accused individual, Alimatu Hassan Bangura, and formed a crucial part of the prosecution’s case.
However, Conteh and another defense counsel, I Kamara, representing Bangura, maintained their objections, emphasizing that not all the contents of the documents had been properly confronted during the investigation.
After deliberation, Justice Kamanda granted a one-hour recess for the defense counsels to review the documents thoroughly.
The proceedings underscore the intense legal battle unfolding in the high-stakes treason trial, where accusations of procedural impropriety and unfair tactics are rife. As the case continues to unfold, the court faces the daunting task of ensuring a fair and transparent trial amidst mounting tensions between the prosecution and defense.
