By Francis H. Murray
Three additional witnesses testified on Tuesday in the ongoing treason trial of former defence minister Alfred Paolo Conteh in Freetown. Detective Police 13835 Issah Sesay of the CID recalled that in 2018, an incident was reported at the CID by the ministry of defense for which the first accused was invited and investigations launched. He said that at the conclusion of his investigations, a report was sent to the office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice for legal advice.
Lead defence lawyer Dr. Abdulai O. Conteh objected to the tendering of the document, arguing that if the witness’s testimony was seeking to introduce issues not laid or contemplated in the indictment, then the said document must not be tendered.
Chief investigator at the Anti-Corruption Commission Joseph Bockarie Noah in his testimony recognized the first accused and recalled that he was on duty on the 20th December 2018 when a matter was brought to him from the Ministry of Defense. He said he assigned the matter to his colleague Umaru Sesay for investigation.
The defense again objected that the witness did not give a detailed explanation of the alleged offences for which the first accused is still been investigated with no charges or indictment brought against him, arguing that the witness’s testimony is not relevant and does not constitute any charge or conviction and therefore not admissible..
Head of the fire arms license bureau at the Sierra Leone National Commission for Small Arms Hajah Fatmata Deen Kamara explained the processes involved in acquiring a license from the commission. She recalled that on the 3rd of March 2020, the first accused walked to the office and said he wanted an application form because he needed a license for his weapon. He said the accused went to the secretary and bought the application form which was stamped and signed before the accused was referred to the Connaught for medical certification.
She added that the accused didn’t go for security vetting because anybody who had owned a fire arms license is not required to make any further security checks
Under cross- examination by lawyer Roland Wright on behalf of second accused Sahr Sinnah the witness told the court that the deputy commissioner issued the license to the first accused after he had fulfilled all requirements because the commissioner was not present at the point.
Meanwhile on Monday, lawyers for the former defense minister Alfred Paolo Conteh in his ongoing treason trial in Freetown have called for the court to “sit in camera” after the director of the presidential guard Lieutenant Colonel Moriba Mohamed Kposowa confirmed the existence of a CCTV in the reception area of the ground floor of State House.
Lawyer Joseph Kamara had argued that if the footage from the said closed circuit television camera on the grand floor of State House was not produced in court, then there was no treason.
In his objection to the defense’s submission, State Counsel Adrian J. Fisher argued that issue whether discussed in private or in the public or before lawyers alone attracted the issues of national security and that such matters are covered by the Central Intelligence Act. Fisher said that the witness was not in a position and could not be compelled to discuss issues bordering on the security of the Head of State, adding that any discussion of such matters breaches the Central Intelligence Act.
In his ruling on the matter, Justice Momoh Jah Stevens said he will not compel the President to make the said footage available unless the persecution deems it necessary.
In his testimony, Lieutenant Kposowa, director of security at State House told the court that the security arrangement at State House is such that they do not allow unauthorized arms to be taken into the facility. He said notices to that effect are written on the right and left sides of the entrance.
He recalled that he was on duty on the 19th when he received a call from Captain Angel informing him about the incident at the reception. The witness said: ‘‘When I got there, I spoke to Sergeant Ngaima who told me the details of what had happened. Given the nature of the explanation, I called the Criminal Investigations Department of the Police. While I waited their arrival, I went out the first gate to inquire about the vehicle which brought in Alfred Paolo Conteh. I asked the personnel at the gate whether they were aware that a pistol was caught with the accused to which they replied in the positive.”
Lieutenant Colonel Kposowa said after Sergeant Yeamie handed over to him a bag containing a pistol, he went upstairs to locate where the first accused was seated waiting for the meeting and found him in the office of the State Chief of Protocol.
He continued: ‘‘I said sir, are you the owner of this bag and he answered yes. I have been informed by my personnel that they caught you with a pistol in this bag: he said yes but the pistol is licensed. He placed his hand in the side pocket of the bag and removed the license and showed it to all of us saying, here this is the license.’’
The witness said he handed the bag to one Superintendent Sylvester who unloaded the pistol and realized that it had 10 live rounds of ammunition and that he informed the other visitors that the first accused will not be part of the meeting for security reasons and then took the accused to a room where a statement was obtained from him.
Firth prosecution witness 4645 Staff Sergeant Alhaji Brima Ngiama told the court that the first accused by-passed the scanner and metal detector before he was intercepted by the scanner operator. Sergeant Ngaima of the Presidential Guard Force recalled that on the 19th of March 2020, while on duty on the first floor of State House around 8:30am, when he was instructed by his boss Chief Superintendent Sylvester Amos to go to the ground floor and alert the security personnel that a meeting with the President was due to take place with the president.
He said while delivering the message to Police Constable Vacky who was the scanner operator, he saw the accused Alfred Paolo Conteh standing by a wooden door at the entrance, and that he later saw him bypass the metal detector with a brown bag in his right hand. He continued that calling the accused back three times, he returned to the reception, raised his bag and announced that he had a weapon in it and proceeded upstairs for the meeting.
He said they scanned the bag and the pistol was discovered in it following which they informed the authorities about what had happened.
Sixth prosecution witness Margaret Kposowa also testified to have witnessed what happened at the reception on that day when the pistol and ammunition was discovered in the bag belonging to the first accused.
In cross-examining lawyer Kamara pointed to what he called “inconsistencies” in the testimonies.
While any person holds or performs the functions of the office of President, no civil or criminal proceedings shall be instituted or continued against him in respect of anything done or omitted to be done by him either in his official or private capacity.
Copyright © 2020 Politico Online
