As the high-profile trial of Amadu Koita Makalo continues to unfold, fresh details have emerged regarding his arrest and initial treatment at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID). According to Inspector Tamba Kasi Koroma, who testified in court, upon Koita's arrival at the CID, he displayed clear signs of a minor head injury. Koroma further revealed that due to the severity of the injury, CID officers provided Koita with immediate first-aid treatment before proceeding to take his statement.
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The treatment involved administering basic first aid procedures such as cleaning and dressing the wound to prevent any further damage or infection. Koita was then taken to a medical facility for further evaluation, where he received appropriate medical attention. The revelation of this new information in court has added a new dimension to the ongoing trial, and the defence team has indicated that they may seek to use this information to bolster their case.
Inspector Koroma vividly remembered the events of the evening of December 4th, 2024, when he was on duty at the police station. On that day, Koita was brought in by the Operations team, and he was subsequently subjected to an interrogation. During the questioning, Detective Superintendent of Police Gbonda thoroughly scrutinized Koita regarding several alleged offences.
However, the proceedings were abruptly cut short when Koita complained of feeling unwell on December 5th, 2023. This unforeseen circumstance prompted a delay in the initial statement, and Koita was subsequently taken to the hospital for medical attention.
During the trial proceedings, Prosecutor Bockarie made a request to Inspector Kasigbama to present Koita's statement from different dates at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) as evidence against him.
However, the Defense Lawyer Sigismond Conteh raised an objection to the statements being read aloud in the presence of the public, jurors, and other accused individuals. The defence lawyer argued that the statements could be prejudicial to his client's case if read out loud in front of the jury. The judge carefully considered the arguments from both sides before making a decision on whether or not to allow the statements to be read out loud in the open court.
In response to the defence's objection, Justice Kamanda granted Conteh's request to have the courtroom cleared of the jury and other spectators. As a result, only court clerks and security personnel were allowed to remain present during the proceedings. The case under consideration remains unknown, and it's unclear what the defence's objection pertained to.
Meanwhile, outside the courtroom, the government of Sierra Leone has charged 12 individuals, including one Amadu Koita, with treason and other offences related to an attempted coup that took place on November 26th. Koita has been identified as one of the organizers of the coup attempt. On December 4th, Koita was arrested, along with 85 other individuals, most of whom were military personnel, linked to the events of November 26th. It's unclear at this time what the outcome of their trial will be.
The charges against the alleged perpetrators include treason, misprision of treason, and aiding and abetting the enemy. Former police officers are among those accused, highlighting the complex nature of the allegations and the significance of the ongoing trial in addressing the attempted coup and maintaining stability in Sierra Leone.