By Henry Kargbo
Prosecuting witness Staff Sergeant Kelly Marrah on Thursday 7th. March 2024 testify before Judge Advocate Mark Ngegba on the notion of the Whatsapp message he received from the 9th accused person Staff Sergeant Idrissa Kallon.
He said being a military personnel in charge of collecting intelligent as well informing his senior officers for decision making, the 22th prosecuting witness Staff Sergeant Kelly Marrah told the court whilst on a training leave in Egypt, he received a Whatsapp message from the 9th accused person depicting how he had planned to conspire with others to overthrow President Bio.
At the cross examination, Staff Sergeant Kelly Marrah said he had known the 9th accused for the past 30 years at the Wilberforce Barrack. He testified that on 26th November whilst in Egypt on intelligent training, a message beeped his phone.
He added that the WhatsApp message from the 9th accused reads “Kelo, you are my brother and I know you will have my back, we have planned to overthrow President Bio But please do not tell nobody and if we succeed, our suffering is over. Please pray for me.”
Upon reading the message, Staff Sergeant Kelly Marrah was shocked and quickly forwarded the message to one of his senior officers Lieutenant Colonel E.A Tommy.
On his arrival from Egypt, contacted Lieutenant Colonel E.A Tommy about the Whatsapp message he had forwarded to him, but Lieutenant Colonel E.A Tommy chose not to understand.
He later met him again to explain to him the content of the message he received from the 9th accused Staff Sergeant Idrissa Kallon but it proved unsuccessful.
Staff Sergeant Kelly Marrah said on the next day he went to the Ministry of Defence in order to take his request form there he coincidentally met his C.O Lieutenant Colonel E.A Tommy. During that moment, he tried to approach him for the second time. However, he informed Captain C.A Kamara that he had tried several times to talk to Lieutenant Colonel E.A Tommy, but he had not being replying his messages and calls.
Furthermore, after explaining the details of his arrival at Ministry of Defence, he was informed that they needed his phone for investigation. “I was later handcuffed and taken to CID in order to take statement from me,” Staff Sergeant Kelly Marrah said.
Eventually, after the statement had been taken, Staff Sergeant Kelly Marrah said he was taken to the Special Court together with other detainees.
He told the court that he took one month and eleven days at the Special Court on confinement. Later, he was released on the ground of his innocence.
One of the Defence Counsels objected that the witness Staff Sergeant Kelly Marrah’s statement was served to them later and there was no notice explaining what the witness was testifying.
Based on that, the Judge Advocate Mark Ngegba adjourned the matter to Wednesday 13th March 2024.
