By Saio Marrah
Staff Sergeant Ibrahim Thorllu Bangura, who was a bodyguard to former president Ernest Bai Koroma says he is innocent of charges of conspiracy to commit mutiny, murder and other related offences at the ongoing court martial.
The 21st accused was testifying from the dock on Monday July 29, 2024. He rejected the allegation that he was in Freetown between November 25 and 26, 2023 and also denied the allegation that he sent a WhatsApp voice note.
According to him, on November 23, 2023, after asking for an excuse from his Chief Security Officer, CSO, he travelled from Makeni to his village to attend the funeral rites of his aunt. He said he was ill when he embarked on the journey and the illness became serious when he arrived and that the funeral rites did not take place as most of their family members did not turn up.
The accused said he proceeded to Magburaka and on to Makeni, where he called in a nurse who normally treats him for minor illnesses.
Sergeant Thorllu Bangura said he realized that his cell phone was missing when his wife accused him of not picking her calls and that he was later told by one of his children that a strange man had been answering his calls and that the stranger said he found the phone in a vehicle.
The accused told the court that he reported the loss of his phone at Rogbaneh Police station before buying another one. He said on December 1, Major Bangura from Cockerill called him asking of the whereabouts of his colleague, Yapo to which he replied saying Sesay was on duty.
The accused said when Major Bangura called again he told him Yapo was not in his deployment area as he saw him with his backpack heading to his village.
According to him he was then summoned to the brigade, where Colonel Pessima who had just taken over as commander played a short video in which a woman said he saw Yapo Sesay in Freetown and after which he told the commander he couldn’t tell whether Yapo had traveled to Freetown.
The accused said Colonel T.M. Brima, the outgoing brigade commander asked him to help apprehend Yapo and upon that he gave Yapo’s brother’s phone number to the commander and that the commander and Yapo's brother - also a soldier, went to the village but couldn’t find Yapo.
He informed the court that upon the instruction of his commanders he traveled to the CID to explain the situation around Yapo but he was arrested and told that he had crimes to answer for. He said he was accused of sending a whatsApp voice note, which he denied saying he had never used a smartphone before.
The accused said he made the statement in the presence of his lawyer, Ady Macauley after he had been detained in an isolated cell for a while.
Copyright © 2024 Politico (05/08/24)
