By Allieu Sahid Tunkara
The leading state counsel in the team currently prosecuting a case against 13 soldiers for alleged mutiny has fallen ill yesterday shortly before proceedings commenced at court martial on Wilkinson Road in Freetown.
Gerard Soyei who has been leading the prosecution team before Judge Advocate Otto During since August, 2013 was seen on the court’s premises minutes before his assistant Major Sowa announced in court that Soyei had fallen ill. Sowa said his co-prosecutor had been in good health and was present for duty before he became sick.
“My Lord, my senior counsel is very ill; I gratefully apply for leave of the court for the adjournment of this matter,” Sowa applied.
“It is a pity that the lawyer is not feeling well as the court martial trial has been moving at a pretty faster pace,” Judge Otto During said before pronouncing adjournment of the case to Friday, February 6.
Lead defense lawyer Julius Nye Cuffie said his client, the 5th accused, and his supporting witness were ready to appear for testimonies. He however raised no objection to the adjournment saying “the adjournment borders on health, though there is no medical evidence to support.”
James Metzger, a court orderly at the court martial, said he spoke to Soyei shortly after he fell ill and the prosecutor “told me he would be in court on Friday.” Metzger said Soyei’s health condition “is not anything to raise alarm about. He did not sound very sick on the phone.”
Some court attendees however expressed fear that the leading prosecutor could have been shot with “witch gun.”
Meanwhile, Soyei had led a cross examination on Friday in which Warrant Officer Sergeant Major Alie Sesay attached to the 4th military battalion Teko Barracks testified on behalf of the 4th accused person that he had no knowledge of any commanders’ group meetings at Teko Barracks in August, 2013, though he knew about other commander’s meetings that were taking place at the said barracks.
Major Sesay said the 4th accused had always been present on duty and had “never requested a welfare pass nor applied for annual leave in August in 2013.”
Arrested in August 2013, the thirteen soldiers of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces are standing trial at the court martial for alleged conspiracy, mutiny and failure to suppress mutiny. They have been in remand since their arrest although they deny all charges brought against them.
The next sitting of the court is on Friday 6th February, 2015.
© Politico 03/02/15
