12:00 (12:30 with the delay in video and audio): Court is back in session following the mid-morning break.

Defense counsel Morris Anyah continues his cross-examination of protected prosecution witness TF1-516:

Def: You said before the break that you came to know that Taylor was in custody of the RUF. Did you mean something else?

Wit: The Special Court. I knew he was in custody of the Special Court when Collott met me in Kailahun?

Def: Was he alone?

Wit: With someone else?

Def: Male or female?

Wit: Male, Magnus.

Def: Lamin?

Wit: I knew him as Magnus.

Def: Have you met Chuck Collott on several occasions since then?

Wit: I met with Chuck three times: once in Kailahun and two in the Special Court for about a week, and one in Bo.

Def: The time you spent a week with him was at the Special Court?

Wit: I used to come talk to him at the Special Court in Freetown then returned to my guest lodge.

Def: [references document]

Judge Doherty: This won’t compromise his security?

Def: No. But documents introduced after this one should not be publicly transmitted.

Def: This is a document we’ve created pertaining to dates of meetings between the prosecution and this witness. These are all the times we’ve been told the prosecution has met with you. Do you see entry number one: July 7, 2006?

Wit: Yes, clearly.

Def: Was that the date on which you met Chuck Collott in Kailahun?

Wit: I remember meeting him in Kailahun but don’t remember the date. It was in the rainy season.

Def: Was there someone else with Collott besides Magnus when you met him?

Wit: Yes, but I can’t remember the name.

Def: Koroma?

Wit: I’ll have to think about that/

Def: Did you read newspapers at the time?

Wit: No. I’m reading the sciences. I was in the laboratory most of the time.

Def: Were you reading the sciences in 2006?

Wit: I’ve been reading it. I didn’t have time to read newspapers.

Def: Did you listen to the radio in 2006?

Wit: I can’t recall.

Def: Do you ever listen to the radio?

Wit: No. I only listened to the radio in the RUF because I was tasked with listening to radio.

Def: When I say radio, I’m not referring to communications, I’m referring to public radio. Do you ever listen to public radio?

Wit: I don’t have the time.

Def: You’ve never listen to the radio?

Wit: I don’t have the time.

Def: Have you ever listened to the radio, yes or no?

Judge Doherty: In his whole life?

Def: In 2006?

Wit: I cannot recall.

Def: Your second meeting with the prosecution took place in Freetown?

Wit: Yes.

Def: You were interviewed again by Collott and Magnus?

Wit: Yes.

Def: [references document] These are notes from the prosecution regarding their meeting with you on 17 July 2006. You will see there that it says the interviewer such and such, your name, the location: OTP interview room and by: KR Collott and Magnus Lamin. You see that?

Wit: Yes.

Def: Those were the people who interviewed you?

Wit: Yes.

Def: In the second para: “Went through the Charles Taylor indictment with witness to explain the various counts and give witness an idea of the scope of the prosecution, and explain concept of (those most responsible), etc.” Do you see it?

Wit: [pause]

Def: You’re a school teacher, are you not? And yesterday you were using words like “rendezvous” and “willy-nilly”, were you not? You can read?

Wit: Yes.

Pros: Do you recall them going through the Taylor indictment with yuou?

Wit: Yes.

Pros: What did they tell you was the scope of the prosecution?

Wit: They analyzed crimes committed during the war?

Pros: What did they tell you about the concept of “those most responsible”?

Wit: That those responsible had been already indicted.

Pros: Did they tell you Taylor was one of those?

Wit: Who else did they tell you had been indicted?

Wit: They did not mention other names to me.

Pros: He was the only one mentioned in connection with that phrase?

Wit: They mentioned Issa Sesay, Sam Bockarie and some others.

Pros: They went through the charges with you in detail?

Wit: They called charges that I didn’t understand because I’m not a lawyer.

Pros: They mentioned events like the invasion of Freetwon and the junta period?

Wit: Yes, they made mention of Freetown, and the war throughout.

Pros: And atrocities committed against the people of Sierra Leone?

Wit: Yes.

Pros: So you knew they wanted to speak to you about Charles Taylor?

Wit: Not only Charles Taylor, but what I knew about the war. I was to be fair, to explain exactly.

Pros: But you knew they were focused on Charles Taylor?

Wit: I can’t tell their intention.

Pros: You were not working in July 2006?

Wit: No.

Pros: You had just completed secondary school and had no income?

Wit: Yes.

Pros: You told us on Monday that you had two dates of birth?

Wit: Yes.

Pros: One, the actual one, was 26 December 1973. The second one you gave us was 26 November 1982, yes?

Wit: Yes.

Prosecution: The information could go to identifying the witness.

Judge Doherty: That was on record when you led the witness in open session.

Def: What this means is that when you met with the prosecution in 2006, you were around 32 years of age?

Wit: I have to work the mathematics. [requests paper]

Def: From 1973 to 2003 is thirty years?

Wit: Yes.

Def: And there are three years between 2006 and 2003?

Wit: Allow me, please. [pause]

Def: Are you having difficulty adding three years?

Wit: 32 to 33.

Def: Exactly. So you agree with me that in July 2006 you were about 33 years of age?

Wit: 32.

Def: And you were unemployed?

Wit: Yes.

Def: And you had just been in a meeting going over the Taylor indictment?

Wit: Yes.

Def: Was it after this meeting that you met with them for an entire week in Freetown?

Wit: The first day they met with me, they invited me to Freetown.

Def: When they met you the second time, was this the period during which you spent the entire week with them?

Wit: I did not note the dates.

Def: You told us that when you met them in Freetown, you spent an entire week with them?

Wit: Yes.

Def: That was July 2006?

Wit: I did not take record of dates.

Def: Have you ever met with them in Freetown other than the month of July 2006?

Wit: Even getting to December last year I met with them.

Def: We know that. I’m asking about July 2006. The question is about the Special Court on Jomo Kenyatta Road in Freetown. Other than this time, have you ever met with them there?

Wit: Yes.

Def: When?

Wit: December 2007.

Def: Was that the period during which you spent an entire week with them?

Wit: No.

Def: When was that?

Wit: During the second meeting with them.

Def: The date?

Wit: I can’t say.

Def: How long did the interview on 17 July last?

Wit: I didn’t take record of it.

Def: The prosecution document disclosed to us, it says 17 July 2006. It says the meeting went from 10:20 to 5:02 in the evening. So over six hours?

Wit: I did not take record of the time. I can remember undergoing the interview.

Def: Was it a short or long interview?

Wit: We had an interview, then had a break, then came back and had an interview.

Def: You know “Zedman”, Sahr James?

Wit: Yes.

Def: He was a radio operator with you at various places?

Wit: At certain places.

Def: At Zagoda, at Beudu?

Wit: Yes.

Def: You said he had the Liberian codes?

Wit: He had knowledge, but was not the only one.

Def: [references document] The first entry says 7 July 2006. That was your first meeting with Collott in Kailahun?

Wit: I can’t recall.

Def: Zedman approached you before you first met with Collott?

Wit: Yes.

Def: Did he train you in the RUF?

Wit: I never said Zedman trained me.

Def: He was superior to you because he was there first?

Wit: Yes.

Def: What was his rank in the RUF?

Wit: I can’t recall exactly the rank he attained.

Def: What was your highest rank in the RUF?

Wit: I was a sergeant. When I crossed into Liberia, Yeaten called me a captain of the Signals Unit.

Def: You told us there were no uniforms or insignia early in the war?

Wit: Yes.

Def: So it’s not unusual they didn’t give you stripes?

Wit: Not in the early stages.

Def: Let’s go back to Zedman. Yesterday, in passing, you referred to a sergeant approaching you and taking a code book from you?

Wit: Yes.

Def: [references document] It says interview of you, 1:57 PM, the date of July 7, 2006; it says by M. Koroma, M. Lamin, and K. Collott. This Koroma mentioned there. Do you recall how that person looks?

Wit: Black, and fat a little bit.

Def: They were the three interviewers?

Wit: Yes.

Def: On the next page it says: “Witness was approached by Zedman about a month ago (late May?) and after that has never spoken to anyone about testifying.” You see?

Wit: Yes.

Def: [references another page] “(Refer to composition book made as exhibit and stamped in red ink on front.) Witness acknowledges notebook as his. He tore out some pages he felt were unimportant just before giving it to Sahr James.” You see?

Wit: Yes.

Def: [references notebook] You told us Tuesday that this was your codebook?

Wit: I did not say this was the codebook. This is not a codebook.

Def: This is a book you adopted as yours?

Wit: I did not adopt it. It is my book. It was with me during the war.

Def: It is your book?

Wit: Yes.

Def: You gave this book to Zedman in May 2006?

Wit: I can’t recall the exact date. The books were collected by Zedman before Collott and others talked with me. When the books were handed over to Zedman, it was some time. Zedman met me and asked to hand over the documents.

Def: I’m looking for a month, not an exact date. It says you told them it was May. Was it May?

Judge Sebutinde: To be fair to the witness, it doesn’t say May, it says “about a month ago”.

Wit: I’ve never been precise in giving dates because I didn’t record that.

Def: But you were specific talking about dates in your testimony, like the Freetown invasion?

Wit: I didn’t know the dates until they gave them to me.

Def: Going back to the month you gave Zedman this notebook. The investigators wrote you gave it to them in May 2006. Are you saying that’s a mistake?

Wit: I told them about a month.

Def: About a month before July 2006 you gave Zedman that book?

Wit: I don’t want to be precise about the exact number of days, weeks or months. Zedman got in touch with me. I didn’t know he was in touch with Collott and others.

Def: When Zedman took this exercise book, it was during the rainy season of 2006, yes?

Wit: Not in the rainy season.

Def: Then why did they write you gave it to him in May 2006?

Wit: I didn’t give a specific date.

Def: After Taylor’s detention in March 2006, Zedman comes to collect your code book?

Wit: Not my code book. My operational book, and some personal books.

Def: Disarmament took place you said in 2002 or late 2001. Which is it?

Wit: It was in late 2001.

Def: And you retained these books after the war until 2006 when Zedman came to get them?

Wit: Yes, together with a scrapped radio, which is now in the possession of Sahr James.

Def: In Kailahun?

Wit: Yes.

Def: He lives in Kailahun?

Wit: Yes.

Def: Who was present?

Wit: I can’t recall.

Def: What did he tell you he needed the books for?

Wit: He didn’t say. He only asked for them. One other commander, had already collected one book. It was “Liberty”, Moijueh Koroma.

Def: When did Liberty come?

Wit: In 2003. He wanted to work with the NGO IRC. He met me and asked for my notebook that had some messages and other documents in it.

Def: Then Zedman came and said he wanted your operational books?

Wit: He came and asked if I had my signal documents, and I gave it to him with the scrapped radio.

Def: That book was important to you?

Wit; Otherwise I would not have kept it.

Def: Did you ask Zedman why he wanted this book of importance to you?

Wit: I did not tell him.

Def: You simply gave him the book?

Wit: Yes.

Def: How long afterwards were you contacted by Chuck Collott?

Wit: Over a month.

Def: How?

Wit: I saw Zedman in a vehicle at the secondary school. He said they wanted to talk to me. I refused. Later I agreed to meet them at the Daru Tradaing Center in Kailahun.

Def: Zedman and them? You’re referring of Zedman with Collott, Koroma and Magnus?

Wit: Yes.

Def: So four men, one of which was Zedman, took you to Daru Trading Center?

Wit: Yes.

Def: Zedman was your superior officer in the RUF?

Wit: Yes.

Def: When you went there, what did they tell you their purpose in meeting with you was?

Wit: To get information from me about activities with the war, when Zedman worked together with me.

Def: And within 10 days of that meeting you went to Freetown?

Wit: They gave me money for transport to travel to Freetown. I don’t know the dates.

Def: You see the interview dates in the document. Does that look right to you?

Wit: Taking that date into account, it should be 10 days.

Def: You said Tuesday that you kept all your books with you until the last day of disarmament?

Wit: These books requested by Sahr James were with me until disarmament and even after disarmament.

Def: You told us [reads from transcript of April 8]: “I had my notebook until the last day of disarmament. At some point my former sergeant requested those materials.” You remember saying that?

Wit: [silence]

Judge Doherty: Did you understand the question?

Def: Did you say this to us? [reads quote again]

Wit: I said my note that I had, which later was reproduced by a girl who wanted to be trained in signals. The old one was discarded.

Def: Did you keep all your books through disarmament?

Wit: Not all of them.

Def: The book was reproduced by Rebecca?

Wit: Yes.

Def: Did you tear out some pages from this book?

Wit: Yes, I did.

Def: If you look at the cover, it says 96 pages. Ordinarily this book would have 96 pages?

Wit: Yes.

Def: We counted the pages, as did the prosecution, and there are 46, yes?

Wit: You have to give me a chance to count. [sound of pages turning can be heard] 42.

Def: So with the two covers, 44 by your count?

Wit: Yes.

Def: What happened to 52 pages from this book?

Wit: The messages you had there had long been written on pages in this book in code. Those messages were transcribed. The transcription was done in this book and later replicated just exactly transcribed. The ones I had transcribed – I discarded the coded message and had this one written in simple English?

Def: Half of the book?

Wit: Not half of the book. These messages were replicated had long been received and transcribed. You had the code words written and the normal English words written.

Def: We know that Rebecca copied the original into this book. You counted 44 pages. What happened to the missing 52 pages?

Wit: This is my explanation. In fact, Rebecca only copied these pro signs. These other messages I spoke about here were received in this book. The messages were to be relayed. I was not to decode the message in the official books because it was not intended for the commander where I was working. So it was transcribed here. Later on it was replicated and copied in this book.

Def: When did Rebecca help you re-write your operational book?

Wit: That was in 2001.

Def: Were you still with the RUF?

Wit: Yes.

Def: What month in 2001?

Wit: I can’t state the exact month, but during the rainy season.

Def: I thought you were in Liberia during the rainy season of 2001?

Wit: While in Foya we were beaten back by LURD and we had to retreat to Beudu.

Def: Who is Rebecca?

Wit: A girl staying with me who wanted to be trained in signal communication.

Def: Let’s go to the first page. At the top part, certain words are written, like “exact”, “read”, “opportunity”, [several others] On the right more words are written, like “sophist”, and “sophistry”. Would you agree that the handwriting is different?

Wit: Yes.

Def: Two different people made entries on this first page?

Wit: Yes.

Def: [references another page towards the end of the book]: At the top it has a date: November 28, 2001?

Wit: Yes.

Def: It has your name, date and place of birth, and other particulars about you?

Wit: Yes.

Def: It says “Intended course: mass communication” and the word “transmitted” and it is signed and your name appears again. Did you write all of this?

Wit: I wrote this one. That’s my handwriting.

Def: Were you with the RUF when you wrote this?

Wit: It was somewhere around Pendembu or Beudu. I will give information about this.

Def: Don’t give information that would disclose your identity. Were you with the RUF when you wrote that?

Wit: [long pause] I cannot recall, really.

Def: Was this before or after disarmament?

Wit: This might have been aft…no, the date is not what I’m looking at.

Def: What do you mean? The date is accurate, is it not?

Wit: [pause] Allow me to explain.

Def: Just answer the question. Did you write that text before or after disarmament?

Wit: It must have been reproduced from the other book I discarded after disarmament.

Def: But it was copied from the other book and is accurate?

Wit: I can’t ascertain that exactly. This wasn’t necessarily copied on the same date.

Def: I’m not asking about the date on which on which the transfer was done. You told us Rebecca did it in 2001. I’m asking about the information on the page. You said it was identical to the other book. True or false?

Wit: Yes. It was exactly what I had copied from the other book. I would use this date.

Def: That would mean you were using a different date than appeared in the discarded book?

Wit: It was the same date. If I write the 7th, when I copy it I have every right to use that date.

Def: Let’s say you transferred information on Tuesday this week, April 8, are you saying you would use that date?

Wit: I’m doing it today, but it must bear its own date.

Def: Is it your practice to put the date of transcription or transfer as the date in the new book.

Judge Sebutinde: That is not what the witness is saying at all.

Def: You agree with the Justice?

Wit: Yes.

Def: So this information is accurate?

Judge Doherty: An accurate transcription or accurate information?

Def: The transcription was accurately done?

Wit: Yes.

Def: The information on this page is as you recall it being in the old book?

Wit: In this situation, the date stated here is the date I was asked for this information about me.

Def: Who did you surrender to at disarmament?

Wit: During disarmament, I hadn’t any single weapon. I spoke to Major T. of the UNAMSIL disarmament team.

Def: In 2001?

Wit: Late 2001, I suppose.

Def: Is this date in November 2001 before or after disarmament?

Wit: I can’t say the exact date. I came from Vahun late. I was in the last batch to enter DDR.

Def: This page I just showed, is that your handwriting?

Wit: Yes.

Def: And that’s your signature?

Wit: Yes.

Def: On the next page, that is not your handrwriting?

Wit: No.

Def: This refers to Biblical passages?

Wit: Yes, that’s the work of Rebecca.

Def: [reads Biblical citation] And she was writing religious passages in your RUF operational book?

Wit: Using the facilities of this particular book to write.

Def: She wrote religious passages in your RUF operational book?

Wit: Yes.

Def: [references another page] At the top of that page it says, “Hello mother.” “How are you there”, [others]. That is not your handwriting?

Wit: No.

Judge Doherty interrupts to say that court must now adjourn for the lunch break. Proceedings will begin at 2:30 (3:30 with the video/audio delay).