Amadu Koita Makalo, on trial for treason, has denied any involvement
in the failed coup of November 26, 2023. He asserted that he did not commit
treason as a soldier and questioned why he would do so as a civilian, claiming
he was abducted by the attackers.
During the ongoing treason trial of Amadu Koita Makalo and 11
others at the Siaka Stevens Street High Court, Justice Komba Kamanda has
adjourned the case to June 18, 2024. This adjournment allows defense counsels
representing the 4th, 5th, 6th, 10th, 11th, and 12th accused persons to submit
their oral submissions.
State prosecutor Yusuf Isaac Sesay confirmed that some defense
teams have already filed no-case submissions, while others are still preparing.
The alleged coup plotters face charges including treason, misprision of
treason, and murder1. Meanwhile, defense counsel for the 2nd accused, Mohamed
Jalloh, revealed that his client was allegedly tortured and forced to make a
confessional statement by the police
“I have never known them before my arrest and I have never
conspired with them, I am innocent,” Koita stated.
He told the court that he was living in the United Kingdom (UK)
before his arrest and did not have any plan of overthrowing the government.
Koita mentioned that he served in the military as a dedicated
soldier for twenty-five years without any charge of misconduct on his behavior
before he retired in 2018 and left for the UK.
“I survived four gunshot wounds during the war for which I’m
currently living with a rubber in me,” Koita explained.
“I have an unbroken record in the military where I won four awards
before I voluntarily retired in 2018,” he added.
Koita described his journey from the UK, departing on November 22,
2023. He traveled through Morocco, landed in Guinea, and entered Sierra Leone
via the main Kambia entrance. Upon arrival, he was received by his brother, who
is in the military. His brother informed him about a herbalist who could cure
his illness.
He added that on November 23, 2023, they traveled together to a
village in Makeni where he was treated by the said herbalist who told him that
the previous person who treated him did not remove everything from his leg which
was giving him problems.
Koita recounted that the process lasted two days. On November 25,
2023, as he was preparing to leave the village, he encountered some of his
military colleagues who recognized him. They requested a group photo for
remembrance, which he agreed to. He then left the village around 4:00 pm and
headed to Lungi, where he boarded the last ferry to Freetown.
He continued that he hooked up with one of his friends called
Mahmoud Sankoh who asked to go out with him, but he declined and said he just
wanted his coming to be on a low key for the moment.
He however mentioned that he later agreed to go with Sankoh to the
Old School nightclub around 2:00 am but said on their way there they were
halted by armed soldiers at the Bottom Mango checkpoint in Wilberforce.
He revealed that while at the checkpoint, he noticed an unusual
mood of checking which made him inquire from the soldiers but they told him
that the same is being done across the country.
“One of them asked us if we didn’t know what was going on, and I
became very suspicious,” Koita said.
He further explained that one of the soldiers recognized him,
shouted his name and asked him to do an audio recording for them but he told
them he only does that to address issues. He continued that the soldiers
forcefully took him to the Guard room at Wilberforce Barracks and requested him
to do an audio for them because he had a wider media who would listen to him,
but at that point, he said he refused to do the recording.
According to Koita, his refusal made one of the armed soldiers
order him to enter their military vehicle which he did because they were armed.
He added that while in the military vehicle, he was sandwiched between two
soldiers and Captain Jalloh who prevented the armed soldiers from molesting him
further.
“I did not attempt to leave the vehicle because they were armed
and I was not,” Koita disclosed.
He later mentioned that Capitan Senessi a serving personnel
of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) entered the vehicle, told
the soldiers to leave and they drove off.
While sitting uncomfortably in the military vehicle he heard Capt.
Senessi telling someone on the phone that they are coming with senior military
personnel.
Koita narrated that they drove towards Cockeril Barracks where he
heard some gunshots for a while which died down quickly and they entered the
Cockeril compound where he saw Capt. Sandy discussed with Capt. Senessie was
out of the vehicle for about ten minutes before both of them entered the
vehicle with Capt. Sandy sitting by him.
“All I thought about was how I would escape from them,” Koita
stated.
He furthered that their vehicle was third in line as they drove
out of the Cockeril compound heading towards Murray Town junction where he
heard a blast he could not tell where it came from but said it was both the
eleventh and twelfth accused persons who climbed down a bike from Congo Cross
end and spoke with some OSD officers.
During this period, Koita revealed that he attempted to escape
from them but his move was noticed, his phone taken from him and he was
manhandled by them. He continued that Capt. Sandy ordered the soldiers to give
him a gun.
“One of the soldiers took my phone at Congo Cross and Capt. Sandy
told them to give me a gun, but it was not loaded,” Koita said.
Koita furthered that they head to Campbell Street where Capt.
Sandy ordered that they should use the vehicle to hit and open the Pademba Road
Prison gate and insisted that when he enters the prison he knows what to do.
“I don’t know why the CCTV did not show Capt. Sandy and Senessi at
Pademba Road person gate,” he said.
He disclosed that it was after Capt Sandy entered the prison that
he saw inmates come out and he carefully laid down the empty rifle he held and
joined the inmates to escape from the armed soldiers.
During cross-examination led by the principal state prosecutor
Ahmed Bockarie Koita confirmed that he traveled from the UK to Sierra Leone on
November 22, 2023.
He confirmed that he took pictures with some of his former
colleagues including Capt. Jalloh, Mansaray at the herbalist ( Pa Sesay’s)
place in Makeni.
He responded that he only recalled the name Pa Sesay when it was
mentioned to him by the detectives during the investigation as the herbalist
who cured him in Makeni.
When asked to identify the people in the picture screenshots from
his phone, Koita replied that that exhibit was not shown to him during the
investigation and that he was uncomfortable commenting on it as it would be
used to indict him.
He confirmed knowing Alhaji Koroma for over thirty years and they
served together in the military before he retired in 2018.
The matter was adjourned to Wednesday, July 3, 2024, for Bockarie
to complete his cross-examination of Koita.