Detective Superintendent Mohamed K. Alieu, operations officer at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) while testifying as first prosecution witness on the Treason trial told the court that he was instructed by the head of CID, Chief Superintendent J.K Alpha on 19th March 2020 to form a team of investigators to follow him to State House which he did.
Led in evidence by State Prosecutor Adrian Fisher, Supt. Alieu furthered that the investigating team that went to state house with him constituted the head of CID, Inspector Aminata Kamara and Constable Aruna Sesay.
Alieu said on their arrival they were escorted to the 3rd floor of State House by the Director of Presidential Guard, Lieutenant Colonel M. M. Kposowa, who handed over a Gluck 17 pistol with a single magazine in a brown bag which they were told was found in possession of the first accused Palo Conteh and they should investigate him.
Alieu said the pistol was loaded with ten live rounds of ammunition enclosed, and in the brown bag there was also a registration license which carries the face of the first accused.
He said statement was taken from the accused person on the same day on an allegation of being found with fire arm in a prohibited area.
Palo’s statement which was read in court states that the Gluck 17 pistol was bought by his nephew, Mahmoud Koroma who he said is a United States Army Officer. Palo said he cannot recall if he used the state house scanner or not but he voluntarily declared the pistol to the State House Security. He said the state house securities did not inspect his bag when he handed it over to them.
Palo furthered in his statement that he did not leave the bag that contained the pistol in his car because the car wash boys at State house had offered to wash his car, to which he consented.
Palo was released on bail by the CID on his own ‘recognisance’ after his first statement but was later invited on 20th March 2020 for further questioning. Alieu said Palo was detained after his second interview in the presence of his lawyer because they thought it fit to do so.
On 24th march 2020, Alieu said the first accused during another interview confirmed that he brought the pistol during his first meeting with the president but left it in his car. Alieu told the court that the first accused informed them that he did not take the pistol along with him into state house in his first visit because at that time the car wash boys who offered to wash his car during his second visit were not around.
Palo also mentioned in his statement to police that he went through police vetting when he registered his pistol in 2017 but was not aware that he should do same in 2020. He described that as an honest mistake.
Meanwhile, Lawyer Joseph F. Kamara, defence counsel for the first accused person told the court that they have been refused access to see their client and asked that the judge give an order for them to do so. He said the witness has tendered three statements against their client and that they would not be able to cross examine the witness without speaking to their client.
Presiding Judge, Justice Momo-Jah Stevens ordered that lawyers representing all accused persons should be allowed to see their clients while in custody, but cautioned that the five lawyers representing the first accused person would not see the accused at the same time but only two at a time.
