Staff Sergeant Dauda Yemi, Close protection guard to President Julius Maada Bio has testified that the brown bag that was tendered in court containing the Gluck 17 pistol is not the bag he collected from the first accused, Alfred Palo Conteh at State House on 19 March 2020.
Yemi said this while testifying as fourth prosecution witness in the ongoing treason trial against Alfred Palo Conteh and two others at the High Court in Freetown.
Led in evidence by Lawyer Adrian Fisher, Staff Sergeant Yemi told the court that he was on duty with his colleagues at the aforementioned date when they saw the first accused walk into State House Building with his bag and bypassed the metal detector by not putting his bag on the scanner for scanning.
He furthered that the scanning operator saw the first accused walking to the stairs when he asked him to scan his bag. He said that was the time the first accused walked towards him and handed over the brown bag informing him that he has his pistol inside.
Yemi said he gave the bag to the scanner operator who scanned the bag and saw an image of a pistol through the monitor. He said the issue was later reported to the Director of Presidential Guard, Colonel M.M. Kposowa.
In another development, the defence team has applied to pay a visit to State House to see the position of the scanning machine and metal detector.
Presiding Judge, Justice Momo- Jah Stevens has granted the permission and ordered that the visit be made during the normal time at State House and that should be done before the prosecution close their case.
Earlier, Detective Inspector of police Nathaniel Desmond Williams, third prosecution witness and Exhibit Clerk at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) tendered in court exhibits he has in his possession.
Williams told the court that he was on duty on 24th March 2020 when Detective Police Constable 15105 A. Sesay handed over to him a Gluck 17 pistol in a brown bag, with serial number EFEF 240 and its magazine containing ten live rounds ammunition.
Williams added that he also received a Gluck 21 pistol with serial number MUX 841 with two empty magazines in a black case, a damage red lock and a fire arm license with the name of the first accused, issued on 3rd March 2020 with expiring date of 2nd March 2021.
He said all exhibits were registered on serial number 38/2020 in the court exhibit book. Defence counsel, Joseph F. Kamara objected before the Gluck 17 pistol was tendered in court, stating that the witness has been led in evidence with a Gluck 17 pistol with serial number 240 but the Gluck 17 before the court has serial number 234.
Lawyer Kamara added that it is critical for the case of the first accused if the wrong weapon is tendered – “we will vehemently object to a weapon we never heard about, he told the court. Justice Steven informed the prosecution that the evidence cannot be tendered if it is not consistent and it can only be tendered after ratification.
The witness was led again and the evidence was clarified and tendered. The matter was then adjourned to 1st June 2020 for next hearing.
