By Janet A. Sesay

Staff Sergeant Mustapha Turay has on Tuesday, 2nd April, 2024, before Judge Advocate Mark Ngegba and Members of the Board said that Leather Boot was seen at the Murray Town Barracks.

Led in evidence by Principal State Counsel Yusuf Sulaiman Koroma, the witness, Staff Sergeant Mustapha Turay, said he is now attached at the Lungi Garrison Barracks but during the incident of the failed coup he was attached at the Joint Logistics Unit at Murray Town as a Patrol Sergeant.

He furthered that his role at that time was that he was in charge of keeping the Arms Store.

Witness Turay in his testimony recognised Staff Sergeant Abu Dauda, the fourth accused, Edward Koroma, sixth accused, Corporal Alie Kamara, twelfth accused, and Rashid Koroma, the twenty-fourth accused.

He continued that he was deployed at the JLU between the 22nd and 26th November, 2023.

He furthered that on 25th November, 2023, at around 10-11 pm he left the facility where he was deployed to buy an energy drink at a restaurant adjacent to the Murray Town Barracks.

He said upon arrival at the restaurant he met his colleagues Sergeant Janneh, who is now on the run, and Abubakar Turay, the twenty-third accused, adding that they were together when he and Sergeant Janneh bought food and they all ate together.

The witness said that he was with them for 20 minutes after which he left them and returned to his duty post.

Witness Turay narrated that upon his return to his post at around 1 am he woke up to gunshots coming from the Wilberforce end, adding that he alerted the rest of the soldiers and they reinforced and fortified the Guard Posts.

He said during that time the shooting went on all night at Wilberforce and at around 6:30 in the morning he was still hearing gunshots at Cockerill including a heavy gunshot from the Murray Town area with the large blast of an RPG – rocket propelled grenade.

The witness furthered that the Patrol Commander at Murray Town, Lieutenant Colonel Charles, ordered him to distribute ammunitions to recognised military officers including Edward Koroma, the sixth accused, adding that they all signed for the weapons given to them.

He said a few minutes later they got information that accused Koroma should be brought in for questioning.

He said the information stated that accused Koroma had information in his iPad about what happened in Freetown.

He said Patrol Commander Charles instructed him and other military personnel to bring accused Koroma to him, which they did.

He added that they were ordered by Commander Charles to disarm Koroma, which they did, including his iPad.

He further explained that the patrol commander browsed the iPad in the presence of accused Koroma and other military personnel where they saw a series of sacrifice performances done by accused Koroma and the other assailants.

He said accused Koroma was taken for questioning to the office of the commander, adding that he was removed from the office and in their presence accused Koroma admitted that he was part of the assailants, and he was ready to name police officers who were also part of the coup.

Witness Turay in his testimony said accused Koroma in their presence said Abu Dauda, fourth accused, was also part of the assailants and accused Koroma said he would call Abu Dauda for them to believe he was part of the assailants. Accused Koroma dialed Abu Dauda’s phone number, which he answered, and and asked him where he was. Abu Dauda responded that he was at Cockerill and the call was stopped.

The witness furthered that they were on the interrogation with accused Koroma when they heard another heavy gunshot at the Murray Town area followed by heavy shooting.

He said soldiers were running everywhere and later some military officers informed him that they were doing room searching at the barracks and during the search they found Leather Boot in twelfth accused Kamara, alias Cham am Raw’s room including another unidentified person who was on the run.

He said after they had captured them the shooting cooled down and they went and stood under a cane stick close to the JLU room.

The witness said from there they saw a woman coming outside her house who was looking at them suspiciously, and they decided to enter her house to search.

He said when searching the house they saw Sergeant Rashid Koroma, twenty-fourth accused, and Corporal Woodie, and they brought them outside, ordering them to lie down on the floor.

He said they took them to the commander and later a vehicle came along and carried accused Koroma, Woodie and Rashid Koroma, including Leather Boot to the Cockerill headquarters.

He went on that he made a statement to the Military Police officers twice.

The matter continues today for further hearing.