By Saio Marrah
A court-martial in Freetown has convicted 24 out of 25 soldiers on conspiracy to commit mutiny, mutiny, murder and other related military offences arising from an attempt to overthrow the government of President Julius Maada Bio in November 2023.
19th accused, Warrant Officer Class One Sitta Dumbuya was acquitted and discharged on four counts.
The president of the Court Martial, Navy Captain Colonel Lawrence Jabati said all six members of the board approved the verdict.
The conviction of the 24 soldiers late on Friday night, August 9, 2024, saw the Commanding Officer (CO) of the 5 Infantry Battalion at Wilberforce Barracks, Lieutenant Colonel Charles James Mishek Yamba and others sentenced to lengthy jail terms.
Before his pronouncement of the sentences, the Judge advocate, Mark Ngegba said the tenets of the military are discipline, loyalty, and integrity. He went on to say that the sentences would be based on those guiding principles.
According to him, the military maintains a higher standard of those principles than any other walk of life. Thus, he said the sentences will send a strong message that once you are in the military you are expected to demonstrate that at all times especially when it comes to the protection of the sovereignty of the nation.
After pointing out that the court martial took into consideration the seriousness of the offences committed, the law and the circumstances in the plea of mitigation, the judge advocate said the sentences should “send a message that such an act has zero tolerance in the military.”
In the courtroom at full capacity at almost midnight and with a heavy presence of security personnel, family members were seen wailing as the heavy sentences were pronounced.
The pronouncement of the 120 years imprisonment for Lt Colonel Yamba, the only high-ranking officer of the 24 convicts, witnessed a loud cry that halted the hearing for some seconds.
Some of the convicts were seen weeping bitterly and calling on authorities to protect their families.
It could be recalled that in the early hours of November 26th, unknown gunmen broke into and took away heavy weapons from the 5 infantry battalions, which they later used to attack several military installations, killing at least 18 security personnel and freeing inmates from the central prisons.
Copyright © 2024 Politico (12/08/24)
