''All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing'' - Edmund Burke

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S I E R R A  H E R A L D

Vol 9 No 1

The tendency sometimes to protect perpetrators for the sake of peace...doesn't help society. Impunity should not be allowed to stand. - Kofi Annan on Waki report

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archive 6

 

FROM THE TRANSCRIPTS OF THE SPECIAL COURT - A WEE PORTION RELATING TO THE PRESIDENT'S UNREPENTANT KILLER BODYGUARD

Q. And you are talking about an appointment that was given to Hassan Papa Bangura. What was that?

A. He was the deputy commander and the operations commander.

Q. Did he make any other appointments.

A. Yes, Foday Kallay became the deputy operations commander.

Q. Did he make any other appointments?

A. Yes, my Lord.

Q. What were they?

A. Well, some other appointments were made like military supervisors and battalion commanders.

Q. When you say military supervisors, what is the responsibility of military supervisors?

A. Well mostly they, together with the operations commander, will move to the various battalions and supervise and see how things were fairing on.

Q. Do you recall the names of some of the military supervisors that were appointed by Bazzy?

A. Yes, my Lord.

Q. Can you tell the Court some of the names?

A. You had supervisor Franklyn Conteh, who was called Woyoh. He was one of the supervisors. You had Idrissa Kamara. He was also one of the supervisors.

Q. Did he have any other name? Idrissa Kamara, did he have any other name?

A. I want to remain with that name.

Q. Witness, to get that clear, did he have another name that you don't want to mention?

A. Yes, my Lord. He has another name, my Lord.

Q. Do you know that name?

A. Yes, my Lord.

Q. Can you tell the Court that name?

A. My Lord, that man has a responsible position now in the government. For security reasons I don't want to.

MS ALAGENDRA: Your Honours, can I ask that the witness perhaps be permitted to write down the name?

PRESIDING JUDGE: Ms Alagendra, we're not clear what the security issue is here. We've been given the name of the person and we understand the witness to have said that the person is with the government, but it doesn't follow what security issue is involved.

MS ALAGENDRA: Your Honours, if I can ask the witness to explain that better:

Q. Witness, can you explain to the Court what is the reason that you do not want to mention this person's other name? You've said for security reasons and the Court is not clear what you are talking about. Can you be any clearer?

A. Well, like I said, this person, we all fought together, but now he's been sent out he has gone to train and he is serving in the close protection to the President, so I have some fear because of security concern.

JUDGE SEBUTINDE: But, Mr Witness, you've already told us the real name of this person, which is Idrissa Kamara, correct? Or is Idrissa Kamara a pseudonym?

THE WITNESS: No, it is because the nickname is more popular than this name. If I call the nickname now it is - that nickname is more common.

MS ALAGENDRA: Your Honours, with the permission of the Court if I can ask the witness to write the name?

PRESIDING JUDGE: Mr Anyah?

MR ANYAH: Of course we remain in the Court's hands, but of course I will oppose that he write the name. I don't think the witness is saying that revealing the name compromises this particular witness's security. We are in open session and the presumption is that the evidence will be public. If he's saying that it compromises the other fellow's security, that does not provide a basis upon which to conceal the name. Perhaps the witness is confused in one sense. It could be he thinks he's being asked to give the person's current nickname. If the person is a close protection officer, for example, and he has a current nickname which if revealed would blow his cover then that's one issue, but if it's a nickname that this person had during the conflict seven or eight years ago, or however long it was, I don't see why he should not say it in open court.

PRESIDING JUDGE: We are not prepared to accede to this request. The person was known by a name for a period of time and we have no grounds other than something said by the witness that shows that there is an issue of security. Therefore, the name is to be announced in open court - to be given in open court.

MS ALAGENDRA:Q. Witness, did you hear the order from the Presiding Judge?
A. I did not get that clearly.

PRESIDING JUDGE: You have to answer the question now in the Court; the question you have been asked.

MS ALAGENDRA:
Q. Witness, do you want me to repeat the question?

JUDGE SEBUTINDE: Please do. Please do.

MS ALAGENDRA:
Q. Witness, you have mentioned the name Idrissa Kamara as one of the military supervisors appointed and you've told the Court that he goes by another name, or he went by another name. Can you tell the Court what that name was?

A. Leather Boot.

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