I. At the 74th sitting of the Court Martial on Friday, 9th August, 2024, the following verdicts and sentences were pronounced on 25 accused persons in the Court Martial involving the State versus Staff Sergeant Alhaji Koroma and 26 Others:
1. Sergeant Ibrahim Bundu
Kamara alias Amerikin
(2nd accused). GUILTY of
all the 19 counts.
MAXIMUM jail term is 120
years.
2. Staff Sergeant Albert
Bassie Conteh
(3rd accused). GUILTY of all
the 29 counts. MAXIMUM
jail term is 120 years.
3. Staff Sergeant Abu Dauda
(4th accused). GUILTY of all
the 32 counts. MAXIMUM jail
term is 120 years.
4. Corporal Thalie Marah
(5th accused).GUILTY of all
the 44 counts. MAXIMUM jail
term is 120 years.
5. Corporal Edward
Koroma alias Smallie
(6th accused). GUILTY of all
the 14 counts. MAXIMUM jail
term is 120 years.
6. Sergeant Mohamed
Kamara alias Ranger
(7th accused). GUILTY of all
the 16 counts. MAXIMUM jail
term is 80 years.
7. Lance Corporal Eustace
Neka (8th accused). GUILTY
of all the 31 counts.
MAXIMUM jail term is 120
years.
8. Staff Sergeant Idrissa
Kallon (9th accused).
GUILTY of all the 39 counts.
MAXIMUM jail term is 120
years.
9. Corporal John Turay
alias Koko (10th accused).
GUILTY of all the 16 counts.
MAXIMUM jail term is 80
years
10. Corporal Aiah Gbenda
(11th accused). GUILTY of
all the 7 counts. MAXIMUM
jail term is 70 years.
11. Corporal Alie Kamara alias
Charma Raw (12 accused).
GUILTY of all 11 counts.
MAXIMUM jail term is 120
years.
12. Lance Corporal Musa
Maligie alias Jambo
(13th accused). GUILTY of
the 40 counts. MAXIMUM
jail term is 120 years.
13. Private Abdul Razack
Kamara (14th accused).
GUILTY of all the 40 counts.
MAXIMUM jail term is 120
years.
14. Sergeant Momoh Kargbo
(15th accused). GUILTY of
all the 41 counts.
MAXIMUM jail term is 100
years.
15. Warrant Officer Class 2
Philip Adikalie Turay alias
Yamao Kati (16th accused).
GUILTY of all the 9 counts.
MAXIMUM jail term is 80
years.
16. Lieutenant Colonel Charles
James Mishek Yamba
(17th accused). GUILTY of
all the 6 counts. MAXIMUM
jail term is 120 years.
17. Warrant Officer Class 1
Sitta Dumbuya
(19th accused).
NOT GUILTY of all the 4
counts. ACQUITTED and
DISCHARGED.
18. Sergeant Kemoh Fofanah
(20th accused). GUILTY of
all the 18 counts.
MAXIMUM jail term is 120
years.
19. Staff Sergeant Ibrahim
Thorlu Bangura alias Tiger
(21st accused). GUILTY of
all the 40 counts.
MAXIMUM jail term is 120
years.
20. Warrant Officer Class 2
Alpah Turay.
(22nd accused). GUILTY of
all the 7 counts. MAXIMUM
jail term is 120 years.
21. Corporal Abu Bakarr Turay
(23rd accused). GUILTY of
all the 5 counts. MAXIMUM
jail term is 90 years.
22. Sergeant Rashid Koroma
(24th accused). GUILTY of
all the 5 counts. MAXIMUM
jail term is 90 years.
23. Sergeant Omar Fayiah
Lebbie (25th accused).
GUILTY of all the 5 counts.
MAXIMUM jail term is 50
years.
24. Lance Corporal Hassan
Sesay (26th accused).
GUILTY of all the 5 counts.
MAXIMUM jail term is 80
years.
25. Lance Corporal Abu
Samuel Kamara alias Agba
(27th accused). GUILTY of
all the 6 counts. MAXIMUM
jail term is 80 years.
II. The each accused person less the 19th accused was slammed with a distinct jail term for each and every count. As pronounced by the Judge Advocate, the various jail terms should run CONCURRENTLY. This presupposes that it is the MAXIMUM jail term that each and every accused person should serve.
III. The Court Martial trial started on 8th January 2024 when a total number of 27 accused persons were arraigned before the Court on 88 count charges. All the accused persons except Staff Sergeant Alhaji Koroma (1st accused) pleaded “NOT GUILTY”.
IV. Staff Sergeant Alhaji Koroma (1st accused) pleaded “GUILTY” to nine count charges out 20. In the interest of speedy trial, the Prosecution dropped the remaining eleven (11) count charges to which the 1st accused pleaded “NOT GUILTY”. Accordingly, with regards the nine (9) count charges to which he pleaded “GUILTY), the 1st accused was sentenced to 30-year jail term each for six (6) count charges and 1-year jail term each for three (3) count charges. The sentences are to run CONCURRENTLY. This presupposes that he will spend only 30 years in jail.
V. Besides, on Thursday, 8th August, 2024, an application was granted by the Judge Advocate for a separate trial for Lance Corporal Abu Bakarr Koroma alias Opanday (18th accused). who had collapsed in the courtroom due to disease of the mind (Epilepsy), according to medical evidence. His own trial will continue on a date to be communicated.
VI. All the 27 accused persons were charged with a total of 88 counts of these offences:
1. Mutiny
2. Conspiracy to Commit
Mutiny
3. Failure to Suppress
Mutiny
4. Murder
5. Conspiracy to Commit
Murder
6. Aiding the Enemy
7. Communicating with the
Enemy
8. Stealing of Public or
Service Property
9. Receiving of Public or
Service Property
10. Retaining of Public or
Service Property
11. Wilful Damage of
Public or Service Property
12. Fraudulent
Misapplication of Public or
Service Property
13. Conduct to the
Prejudice of Military
Discipline
VII. The above-mentioned offences are encapsulated in various provisions of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Sierra Leone Act of 1961 as amended.
VIII. During the trial, the State was represented by 14 Prosecution Lawyers led by YS Koroma and JAK Sesay of the Law Officers’ Department and Colonel MBS Kamara of the Directorate of Defence Legal at Ministry of Defence. Ten (10) of the Prosecution Lawyers are serving military personnel. To prove their case against the accused persons, the Prosecution Lawyers led 37 PROSECUTION WITNESSES in evidence and tendered 188 EXHIBITS.
IX. The accused persons, on the other hand, were represented by the following lead Defence Lawyers: Ady Macauley, Ibrahim Bangura, Julius Kofi, Hassan Kamara, KT Dauda, CI Williams, Julian Cole and AI Kamara. To disprove the Prosecution’ case, the Defence Lawyers led a total of 29 DEFENCE WITNESSES including two unsworn witnesses.
X. The Court Martial was presided over by the following:
1. Lawyer Mark Ngegba
Judge Advocate
2. Captain (Navy)
Lawrence Jabati
Court Martial President
3. Commander Bai Shiaka
Deen Sesay
Board Member
4. Major Lansana Lukullay
Board Member
5. Major Abass Bundu
Board Member
6. Major IK Marrah
Board Member
7. Major SS Makieu
Board Member
8. Major ML Coomber
Board Member
XI. In subsequent EPISODES, we will look at the EVIDENCE presented by both Prosecution and Defence Lawyers.
Major Yayah Brima,
Media Operations Officer,
Headquarters,
Joint Force Command,
Cockerill Barracks, Freetown.
Phone/WhatsApp: 078 452 876
