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Momodou
Denmark
11762 Posts |
 Posted - 23 Jan 2007 : 13:19:20
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AT COURT-MARTIAL
By Bubacarr K. Sowe
Continuing his cross-examination on Friday at the Court-Martial, police detective, Sergeant Lamin Cham told the court that Captain John Pierre Mendy did say in a statement that he reserved his opinion till the presence of an attorney.
Cham told the court that he did not give Captain Mendy the right to see a lawyer, because Mendy did not ask him for that but only put it in the statement. The voluntary statement, Cham said, was recorded on April 19, at the station at Central Prison at Mile Two. Cham earlier on said that he took a cautionary statement, but he could not remember when and where the statement was taken. He said he recorded a voluntary statement from him at the National Intelligence Agency which was witnessed by an independent witness, and his detective colleagues, Abdoulie Sowe and Boto Keita.
Cham also said that he cannot remember where, but knows that Lieutenant Momodou Alieu Bah did make a cautionary statement. He said he was present, but does not know how many statements they were. He also said that he was present when the cautionary statement of Captain Abdourahman Jah was taken, but could not tell the court how many of them he took. In response to Counsel Lamin Camara's question, Sergeant Cham said that he witnessed the taking of a cautionary statement from Captain Bunja Darboe, before he appeared at the joint investigation panel around midnight on March 21. He said he could not remember the exact time the cautionary statement was taken and did not also know how long Captain Darboe was at the NIA. He also said the cautionary statement was obtained later in the day on March 22, and was witnessed by Tijan Bojang.
Cross Examination By L. Jobarteh
Sergeant Cham said no statement was obtained from Momodou Sanyang of the GRTS, where a video cassette was recovered. He said the tape was handed formally to the Director General of the NIA. He also admitted that the said tape happened to be recorded at the NIA headquarters. In response to a question, he replied that he can read, but cannot speak Arabic, though he can only translate some Arabic. He also said he can read the Qur'an. He was given a copy of the Qur'an and asked to read a page number but he said: "I cannot read the page number," He was again shown a part of the Qur'an and asked to read three lines of a particular Chapter, which he did but could not translate it for the court. One of the exhibits they (the detectives) found in Omar Faal Keita's house was given to him. He said he could translate it except for the introduction. He previously told the court that Babou Loum, an independent witness, appeared on various dates. He said he knows Tijan Bojang, an independent witness, who lives in Sukuta. According to him he knew Tijan Bojang before the Foiled Coup and insisted that he will call him an independent witness. Tijan Bojang, Cham said was present when 2nd Lieutenant Pharing Sanyang was making his statement. Cham told the court he was present when Boto Keita cautioned Corporal Samba Bah but could not determine the difference between the ink writings of the accused and the witness.
The police detective denied that Corporal Bah; was threatened by one Mr. Hydara and noted that Bah cooperated with them. Cham also said he was not there when Hydara was threatening Corporal Bah that what happened to his Colleagues will happened to him, if he rejected stating what he is told to write. He told the court that Corporal Bah was cautioned upon which he made his statement which was recorded by detective Boto Keita and witnessed by an independent witness. It was put to him by Counsel Lamin Mboge, that apart from his name, rank and address, all that he told the court is a cooked-up story. Sergeant Cham replied: "I have sworn as a Muslim and it is not a cooked-up story."
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No.009/2007, 22-23 January, 2007
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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