By Janet A Sesay
Sixth accused, Hassan Leigh has told the court that a private officer adds something to his statements during police investigation of which he is not aware. The issue relating to the addition of statements came up during cross-examination of a witness, Sergeant Philip Bob Smart.
The accused’s statements were read before the court, and there was a portion where ex-Youth Affairs Minister, Bai Mamoud Bangura explained to an unknown person in the cell that former President Ernest Koroma entrusted him Le14bn to fund the coup.
Leigh further told the court that while the statements were obtained from him, commotion erupted over his denial that he knew the former minister.
Read in court, the statements indicated that the accused, Hassan Leigh was at a bar at Furniture Junction on 25th November, 2023 and saw two vehicles entering the premises of the former president and observed what was happening.
Leigh’s statements also indicated that he saw AIG (Assistant Inspector-General) Karrow Kamara alighting from one of the vehicles and knew that something wrong was about to happen. One of the men inside the vehicle violently drove him from the junction and moved his bike across the street but was still observing the situation.
The vehicles, according to Leigh, came out again and drove towards Lumley direction. Leigh was at the junction until midnight when he went home the next day with his bike for work and decided to offer lift to a woman who told him what happened at Wilberforce.
He later went to Juba barracks where he met soldiers drinking alcohol and explained to them what he saw at the residence of the former president. Leigh further told the police that he wanted to join them in the fight and the military officer, Fadika gave him uniform and went to his house at Hamilton and collected money.
Leigh further told the police that when returning from his house, he asked the military police that was riding him to stop at 7th battalion saying he wanted to greet a friend there.
He was identified by another solider as a forest guard and he was taken to Lumley police station and later to the Criminal investigation Department. Leigh said while he was in the cell, he heard Bai Mamoud Bangura asking somebody about the phone they were using to communicate in planning the coup, but the person responded that he had flushed it since the operation did not go well.
Leigh further said that he heard Bai Mamoud Bangura saying that even though they were the ones planning and arranging the coup, nobody ever visited him. Leigh also said in his statements that somebody spotted him and told Bai Mamoud Bangura that he was an SLPP supporter.
He said Leigh said he was a politician and stood for councillor under the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party but was denied the symbol. Witness also accepted that he was caught with the military attire.
After reading Leigh’s statements, witness was asked by state counsel, Ahmed James Bockarie that while Leigh was making statements to the police, was the eighth accused, Bai Mamoud Bangura in cell, but said he did not know him.
Leigh, in continuation of his cross examination, put it to the witness that all what he stated about Bai Mamoud Bangura was not said by him and that it was a private soldier that wrote it.
But, witness replied that what was written by the investigators was exactly what he said. Before reading the accused’s statements made to the police, the witness, detective Sergeant Philip Bob Smart said he was attached Aberdeen police station, but was at the Criminal Investigation Department headquarters during the investigation.
He said on 2nd December, 2023 he was on duty at the police station when the sixth accused, Leigh was allocated to him for statement making. On the same day, witness said, he conducted an interview with the accused, and on 11th December, 2023, he obtained further interview from the accused and informed him that he had right to legal representation.
But, the accused, according to the witness told him that he would make statement without a lawyer although he had one. The statements were tendered in evidence, and marked exhibit N1-30.
Another witness also took the stand during the proceedings. Sergeant Gibril Fadika, a clerk attached Military Police Headquaters also testified against the accused, Hassan Leigh.
The witness Sergeant Fadika said he lived at Juba Barracks and attached Cockerill headquarters on Wilkinson Road in Freetown. He recognized the accused, Hassan Leigh and recalled 26th, November, 2023.
On that day, witness said, he was at Juba barracks when he got information about a firing incident at Wilberforce barracks and order was issued for all soldiers to report at the barracks. Witness further stated that they were together when he saw the six accused wearing a military uniform entering the barracks as there was an alarm to check every one irrespective of the unit attached.
Witness also told the court that he was at the checkpoint when the accused approached him dressed in military fatigue and requested to drop him at his house with his bike. Witness said he accepted.
Upon their arrival at the accused’s house, he went into his house and came out with a gallon of fuel and placed it on the bike.
He said, on their way back, the accused told him to enter 7th Battalion saying he had a friend he wanted to visit, and the accused alighted upon reaching their destination. Witness also told the court that he left him there to guard the post as he went to see his brother who lived at the Barracks.
He said upon his return, he asked for the accused to the other Soldiers that were around, but they told him they did know his whereabouts. “I waited for a while and drove the bike back at Juba Barracks and handed it over to the soldiers that were on duty saying it was not his property,” he narrated adding that he made statement to the military police on 1st December, 2023.
Witness was cross-examined by the accused himself since he was unrepresented. The matter comes up today for continuation.