Prosecution Completes Examination of Witness Samuel Kargbo

2:30pm: Court resumes after lunch break with the testimony of witness Samuel Kargbo.

Pros: Do you recall how many of them went to that meeting in Liberia?

Wir: All those who came to Liberia went to the meeting.

Pros: Can you tell us what happened at the meeting in the mansion?

Wit: We entered the mansion. A man in black coat received us from down stairs and took us to a small room. A man there was in green uniform with the Liberian crown. He opened one of the cottons and greeted us. Mr. Taylor came into the room and took the front seat.

Pros: Do you remember how Taylor was dressed?

Wit: He had a black coat, white shirt, blue-black tie, black shoes and he had glasses on.

Pros: What happened at the meeting?

Wit: Bazzy presented their position statement to Taylor. Mr. Taylor started consoling us that we should all see ourselves as one and that the accord was in our collective favour. He opened his briefcase and took out two envelopes, one was given to JPK and the other to Bazzy for all of us. We went out and Taylor also went to his office. We opened the envelope and Bazzy said Taylor gave us 5,000 US dollars. I received about $700 of that money.

Pros: So did you all leave the mansion together?

Wit: Yes

Pros: How long were you in Monrovia?

Wit: The other westside boys returned after a week and we stayed in Liberia. After like a week, when the guys returned, they released the hostages. The guys kept complaining that they were not satisfied that we were still in Monrovia. So Leatherboot called to say that if JPK didn’t come to Sierra Leone, the guys wanted to change leadership. He said he heard they wanted Dark Angel as their leader because JPK was not seeking their interest. We explained to JPK in the morning and he said one of us needed to go and explain to the boys what he was doing. He chose me as the person to go and explain to the boys. So I went to Freetown and the guys picked me up and we went to Solar Hotel.

Pros: Who was Dark Angel?

Pros: I later realised that Dark Angel was Bazzy.

Pros: Let me show you the minutes of a family reunion meeting that was held with Foday Sankoh. Your name is on the list of attendees. Do you admit that you were in that meeting?

Wit: Yes

Pros: You said in that meeting that the meeting was long overdue because as far as you were concerned, the two factions had respect for each other, right?

Wit: Yes and I was Brigadier at that time. When I joined my SLA colleagues again, they made me Brigadier.

Pros: Was Sam Bockarie in Sierra Leone in April 2000?

Wit: Yes he was in Kailahun District but I heard that he had problems with his boss Foday Sankoh. We didn’t have any link with them but we monitored their conversations on radio.

Pros: Lets talk about Gen. TAB Yayah’s contribution in that meeting. He reechoed the addage “unity is strength…” He said that’s the only way you can conquer the common enemy. Who was the common enemy?

Wit: The SLPP.

Pros: Who was this Yayah?

Wit: I cant remember him anymore.

Pros: Lets talk about Mike Lamin’s contribution. He urged his colleagues to be more vigilant and the kamajors will never accept to see the RUF and SLA marriage succeed. He intimated that we were running great risk at the hands of the common enemy. Who was he refering to as the common enemy?

Wit: The SLPP and Kamajors.

Pros: Thank you, your honours, no further questions. I’ll ask that this document be marked for identification.

The prosecution concludes the examination of the witness.

2 Comments

  1. Taylor is responsible for the hardship Sierra Leoneans are undergoing presently. Let the Special Court do all it can in its capacity to punish him for the atrocities he aided in Sierra Leone. The souls of the innocent people that Taylor killed are behind you in spirit and God will protect all Court staff and witnesses as you are working for the dead and living so dont be coward in prosecuting this dangerous fellow in the sub region.

  2. Michael,

    Please Please ! After hearing the witnesses so far. Are you truly convinced Taylor is responsible for Sierra Leones’ problems ?

Comments are closed.