By Janet A. Sesay
Staff Sergeant 1817209 Ibrahim Thorllu Bangura, one of the security guards to former President Ernest Bai Koroma on Monday, 29 July 2023 before the Judge Advocate Mark Ngegba and members of the Board denied knowledge of the alleged November 26th failed coup. He made this submission while testifying in the accused dock in his defense.
Sergeant Bangura in further evidence said the allegations made against him are untrue, adding that on the 24th November 2023, he travelled from Makeni to his village called Manathun for a family meeting and prior to his travel, he said he took permission from his boss, ASP Ibrahim Sesay (now convicted), also attached to the former President.
According Bangura, he could not even attend the family meeting on time due to an ill-health he had earlier developed, but that he however managed to attend. He explained that after the meeting he did not return to Makeni because the motorbike he had hired had a breakdown.
He furthered that he was later given a ride by an unknown man and they arrived at Mena Junction at about 8:00 pm where he was dropped and went straight into a nearby pharmacy to buy some medicines and he later on left for Makeni and arrived at around 8:30 pm.
Defense witness Bangura further explained that on his arrival at his residence, his wife informed him that they have been calling him but there were no responses, adding that it was at that point that he realized that his phone was missing and they decided to call the number again and it rang but no one answered the call. He said he recalled at that point that he may have left at the pharmacy where he bought the medicines.
He said he directed his son to go to the pharmacy in search of the phone, but that the phone could not be seen.
The accused in continuation of his evidence said on Saturday, 25th November 2023, he got information about his missing phone from the driver that gave him a ride.
He said on Monday, 27th November 2023, he went to his work place at the former President’s residence where he is attached and upon his arrival he met one Corporal Yapoo Sesay together with ASP Ibrahim Sesay siting under a tree and they told him that they have been calling his phone but could not reach him and he responded to them that his phone is missing.
He went on that on 1st December, 2023, Major Bangura called him and asked for Corporal Yapoo Sesay and he replied that he was on duty.
The accused furthered that on 2nd December, 2023, he was at home when he received a call again from Major Bangura informing him that they want to see him and Corporal Yapoo. He pointed out that Corporal Yapoo had earlier, prior to the call by Major Bangura, took permission that he intends traveling to his village. He however maintained that soon he had received the call from Major Bangura that he wanted to see both of them, the accused said he went to their work place to inform Corporal Yapoo about the Major’s call to see both of them, but was told, Corporal Yapoo had travelled to his village.
According to him, he tried to reach out to Corporal Yapoo but to no avail and he later received a called from their Brigade Commander to go to the office which he said he did.
He said on his arrival, he was questioned about the whereabouts of Corporal Yapoo Sesay.
He went on to explain that a Colonel Pessima took out his phone from his pocket and played a video which seemed to show that Corporal Yapoo Sesay was in Freetown on 26th November 2023, and he was asked whether he was aware of Corporal Yapoo’s being in Freetown, but that he replied that he had no knowledge.
He said he was asked how long he has served as a soldier and he responded that he has served for eight (8) years, adding that he was also asked by Colonel Pessima to help them get Corporal Yapoo Sesay. He explained that Colonel Pessima hired a motorbike to take them to Corporal Yapoo’s village where they met his mother who told them that indeed he was in the village but had left for Makeni and he was released at that moment.
Bangura further that on Monday, 4th December, 2023, Colonel Pessima called him again and asked to meet to him in the office which he did, adding that on his arrival he was told that they should go to Binkolo in search of Corporal Yapoo Sesay which he said they did but could not find him and they returned to Makeni.
The accused said on Tuesday, 5th December 2023, he received a called again from Colonel Pessima informing him that AIG Samadia wants to see him and at that moment he got information that Yapoo Sesay had come to their work place.
Sergeant Bangura added that AIG Samadia then told Colonel Pessima to release him so that he could help them get Corporal Yapoo and he left for his work place at former President Koroma’s residence. He explained further that on his arrival at the former President’s residence, he (Sergeant Bangura) said he was told by the former President that he has already given instructions at the main gate not to allow Corporal Yapoo in his compound.
He added that on 25th December 2023, he received a telephone call from Lieutenant-Colonel Kamara in respect of Yapoo’s whereabouts and was commanded to report to AIG Samadia which he did. He said AIG Samadia told him that since they could not find Corporal Yapoo Sesay, he should help them with the investigation and his phone was immediately seized and statements were obtained from him.
During the process, he said he was asked about his missing phone and was later confronted with a an audio message which he said was attributed to him as his voice, but that he vehemently denied to them that the audio was not his voice and that he has not even been using an android phone with WhatsApp application.
The accused said during the investigation, he was confronted with a call log and further accused of being involved in the alleged coup which he denied having any knowledge of.
The accused said he was detained at CID for five days and later transferred to Wilberforce Barracks, adding that when he was interviewed, he told the investigators that, he need a legal representative and thereafter was taking to the Cockeril Military headquarters and back to the CID.
Lawyer Ady Macauley, he said, came to the CID on 22nd January 2024 and it was in his presence that statement was obtained from him and following which he was charged to court on 8th January, 2024 where he was granted access to his family.
The accused, Sergeant Ibrahim Thorllu Bangura is before the court on several counts charges that range from mutiny, murder, treason, aiding the enemy and other offences relating to the alleged coup on 26th November 2023, wherein several military installations were damaged and several military personnel were killed.
It is also alleged that Sergeant Bangura was in Freetown from 25th to 26th November 2023 and a transcript version of a voice alleged to be his, was tendered in court.
According to further evidence, one Osman Sesay testified in court alleging that he saw Sergeant Bangura together with two other personnel in a military vehicle of which he was the driver.
At the conclusion of his testimony, Lawyer Ibrahim A. Kamara informed the court that this is the case for the accused. The matter comes up today for further hearing.