-Witness Testifies
By:Audrey Raymonda John
Testifying yesterday in the ongoing Court Martial trial, Sergeant Lansana Mansaray another witness of the prosecution was led in evidence by Colonel M.B.S Amara, the witness who is attached at the Five Battalion said, he came to realize about the attack of the armory from one Military Police, Lance Corporal Kargbo who informed him about happenings at ammunition site, after hearing of another soldier being disarmed as well.
The Military Police was in civilian attire, after being able to escape from the assailants.
According to the witness, himself, the Military Police plus other officers went to the armoury, carrying along with him a riffle he took from a colleague.
As they were about to enter the Joint Communication Unit Gate, he took cover, but the Military Police was unfortunate and was attacked by a civilian, whom was having a gun and mask on his face.
Both the military Police and officer he said were engaged in a scuffle, but the civilian was having a weapon.
He added that he shot at the civilian, but that shot also affected the Military Police. Notwithstanding such, the military Police got up, took the gun that the civilian was carrying and ran away.
The witness furthered that because of the sound of that shot, the assailants that were at the armoury saw him where he was hiding. “They fired an RPG , where I was stranding,” he explained.
The witnessed said he came face to face with the attackers, but because of their numbers, he absconded for his life, as they were firing behind his back.
He alerted his colleagues of the development at the armoury, adding that from that point “I didn’t trust anybody”.
Prior to the testimony of Sergeant Mansaray, Lance Corporal Kargbo who was shot also took to the witness stand and told the court what exactly he knows about the matter on 25th and 26th November 2023.
The Military Police Officer confirmed to the Court that on the 26th November, whilst he was in a scuffle with one of the attackers, at the Barracks, he felt a gunshot on his right foot.
According to him, it was Sergeant Manasaray that shot him whilst he was shooting at the civilian who attacked him.
He maintained that it was due to such a shot that was released by the Sergeant that enabled him to be freed from the civilian; he was having a fight with.
According to him, whilst he was at the Military Canteen, at Wilberforce Barracks, he saw vehicle parked closer to the ammunition site with hosts of people surrounding the armoury.
Because of what he saw, he had to escape from the compound, ran out of Five Battalion, where he met sergeant Mansaray whom he explained to about what was going on at the armoury.
He was accompanied by two other officers at the Barracks including Sergeant Mansaray, where he was attacked by a civilian carrying a gun as he entered the compound.
The witness said as he escaped, with the gunshot wound, First aid treatment was administered to him and during the morning hours he was taken to the 34 military Hospital.
Whilst at the hospital, he said he was still hearing gunshots.
The witness was cross examined by Lawyer Julian Cole, who also earlier cross-examined Alfred Methodist Kargbo.
Meanwhile the Advocate Judge adjourned the matter to the 1st February 2024 for cross examination.
