BY: MOHAMED SAHR
Inspector Mohamed Kargbo attached at the Criminal Investigation Department Headquarters as an investigator on Monday 18 March, 2024 before Justice Komba Kamanda and panels of twelve juries said that the second accused Mohamed Jalloh in his additional statements, he made to the police said Koita would have become the president of Sierra Leone if they would have succeeded in overthrowing the government.
Reading Jalloh’s additional statement, witness Kargbo said that Koita is his boss and Koita stated that their lives will be better if they succeeded in overthrowing the government.
He said Koita also told him that captain Senessie of five battalion and other senior military officers are also part of the plan and later Koita gave him the sum of two million old Leones.
He said Jalloh in his statement further told the investigators that he started chatting with senior military officers, adding that the plan was to overthrow the government between 5-7 November, 2023 but president Bio was not in town and so they set another date which was on the 17-23 November, 2023 but president Bio was not in town again and they decided to overthrow on the 26 which was the day of the incident.
Jalloh in his statement told the police that their plans were that if they succeeded in overthrowing the government of President Bio; Koita would have become the next president so that his name would also be recorded on the book of president that have ruled the country.
Jalloh furthered in his statement that after some time Koita would hand over the power to the Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Peter K. Lavahum and Lavahum would hand over president Bio to the ICC for investigation.
Witness Kargbo furthered that Jalloh told the police that after they would have handed over president Bio to the ICC, they would have conducted election and hand over the power to Mohamed Kamara alias Jagaban as president elect of the country for the New Movement Democracy.
The witness said Jalloh further told the police that Mohamed Kamara ‘alias Jagaban’ was the core sponsored of the operation adding that the phone number they were using belongs to Mohamed Pope Kamara Deputy Publicity Secretary of the main opposition party but he did not know anything about the coup.
Witness Kargbo said Jalloh then abreast the police that he was in Freetown when the operation took place.
After reading the additional statement of the second accused Mohamed Jalloh, inspector Kargbo said on 1 January, 2024 he obtained charge statements from second accused Mohamed Jalloh, and he was charged with the offenses of treason, murder, shooting with intent to kill and unauthorized wearing of military uniform.
The witness further that on the same day he also obtained charge statements from the fourth accused person Ramatu Kamanda Conteh and she was charged with the offenses of misprision of treason and he also charge fifth accused Alimatu Hassan Bangura with the offenses of misprision of treason and harboring.
Witness Kargbo further that he obtained charge statements from six accused Hassan Leigh by observing the judges’ rules and he also was charged with the offenses of misprision of treason and unauthorized wearing of military uniform.
He said Leigh in his charge statements again denied the allegation levied against him.
Witness Kargbo further that he also obtained statements from nine accused ASP Ibrahim Sesay and was also charge with the offenses of misprision of treason and harboring.
The second accused additional statement was again given to the witness Kargbo again and in page 2 of the statements, Jalloh said Koita is his boss and he described captain Senessie as a military officer who is on the run and also describe WO2 Turay as a military officer who is also on the run.
In pages 4 to 5 of accused Jalloh statement, witness Kargbo said the operation that was said by accused Jalloh is to overthrow the government.
In page 8 of the statements, the witness said Jalloh told the police that after the operation Sheik Mohamed Kamara alias Jagaban should be the president elect for the new movement democracy but he did not investigate that part, adding that he did not know Mohamed Kamara alias Jagaban.
He said accused Jalloh also said that Bob Farma was the one given information to Koita about all the movement happenings at Lodge and state house but he did not investigate that aspect also.
The witness said in Page 8- 9 Jalloh in his statement said staff Alhaji Koroma of eleven battalion was having a bag which contains documents, memory stick and foreign currencies for the operation but the bag was with leather boots who was killed and he further that he did not investigate on that but the matter was investigated by the military officers.
He said leather boots was killed during the operation.
The witness was cross examined by defense Counsel Sigismond Conteh on behalf of the first accused Amadu Koita Makolo and F. Mansaray cross examined the witness on behalf of the second accused Mohamed Jalloh.
The matter was adjourned to tomorrow 20th March, 2024.
