Detective Fritzlun Joshua Moosa has revealed the stunning arrest of Amadu Koita Makalu, the prime suspect in a treason trial gripping Freetown.
Makalu, along with eleven others, faces a litany of charges, including treason and murder, stemming from a foiled coup attempt on November 26, 2023.
Moosa, recounting the events in High Court No 1, testified that they discovered Makalu concealed in the kitchen cabinet of Alimatu Hassan Bangura, the fifth accused, at Sumaila Town. The operation unfolded with tense anticipation as Moosa and his team, acting on intelligence, cordoned off Bangura’s residence.
“We found Alimatu and her two kids in her room,” Moosa disclosed. The situation escalated when a member of the team spotted someone in the kitchen cabinet, leading to a dramatic extraction by military personnel.
“I asked him about his identity, but he did not respond until another military personnel identified him as Koita,” Moosa recounted.
Despite efforts to confirm Makalu’s identity, he remained tight-lipped, prompting his eventual arrest alongside Bangura.
While Moosa defended the operation’s legality under Section 13 of the Criminal Procedure Act 1965, defense counsel Sigismund A.
Conteh pressed on the lack of a warrant. Moosa maintained they acted within legal bounds, emphasizing the urgency of the situation.
Amidst cross-examination, Moosa stood firm, admitting unfamiliarity with Makalu and denying prior knowledge of his appearance on social media. Yet, he affirmed the operation’s timing before curfew and the tactical decision to enter Bangura’s residence.
As the courtroom buzzed with scrutiny, Justice Komba Kamanda adjourned proceedings to February 14, 2024, leaving the fate of the accused hanging in the balance.
