In a significant development in the ongoing Court Martial trial, defense lawyers for the 26 accused individuals presented their closing arguments on Wednesday, asserting that the prosecution had failed to prove its case.
Addressing the court, led by Judge Advocate Mark Ngegba and the Board Members, defense attorney Ady Macauley contended that the prosecution had not established sufficient evidence against the accused. Macauley, representing several of the accused, began by commending the Board Members for their diligence in reviewing the evidence and testimonies presented throughout the trial.
Focusing on his client, Abubakar Turay, Macauley emphasized that Turay had denied all allegations against him. Turay, accused of participating in a coup on November 26, 2023, testified that he was not involved.
Macauley argued that despite a witness claiming to have seen Turay at a bar in Murray Town on the day of the incident, Turay had consistently maintained that he does not drink alcohol and had left his post that day to attend to his sick daughter.
Macauley further argued that the prosecution failed to provide concrete evidence, such as call logs, to support the charge that Turay had communicated with the enemy. He urged the Board Members to acquit Turay, stating that the evidence presented did not support the allegations.
In defense of Staff Sergeant Ibrahim Thorlu Bangura, another of the accused, Macauley noted that Bangura was in Makeni on the day of the alleged coup, attending a family member’s funeral.
He criticized the prosecution for relying on hearsay and not calling witnesses from Makeni to testify, calling for Bangura’s acquittal.
Similarly, Macauley argued on behalf of Staff Sergeant Idrissa Kallon, stressing that the burden of proof lay with the prosecution, which he claimed had failed to prove Kallon’s guilt.
Lawyer I. Bangura from the Sierra Leone Legal Aid Board, representing 11 other accused individuals, also made his closing arguments.
Addressing the case of Lance Corporal Abu Samuel Kamara, the 27th accused, Bangura argued that the state had not presented sufficient evidence to prove the charges.
He highlighted discrepancies in the prosecution’s claims, noting that Kamara was not at the location where the alleged events took place, but rather at the Male Correctional facility.
Bangura further questioned the validity of the evidence, pointing out the lack of expert testimony to verify the authenticity of images and audio recordings presented in court.
He also argued that his client, Sergeant Albert Bassie Conteh, admitted to appearing in a photograph with other suspects but claimed it was taken under different circumstances unrelated to the charges.
The defense team concluded by questioning the prosecution’s overall case, urging the court to acquit their clients due to insufficient evidence.
The trial has been adjourned until Thursday, August 8, 2024, for further proceedings.
