Court Resumes After Lunch Break. Examination of Witness TF1-584 Continues

2:30 (3:00 with 30 mins delay in video and audio): Court resumes after lunch break.

Judge: Please proceed Mr. Santora

Pros: Good afternoon Ms. Witness. I am just going to ask you about something you just said before the lunch break. You said Bockarie told Superman that his men should stay at yams farm for the men from Freetown to have a safe corridor. What do you men?

Wit: If we were not at Yams Farm, the men from Freetown could not come that far. We created a safe area so ECOMOG would not be able to base there.

Pros: Did the men from Freetown join you?

Wit: yes

Pros: I have a copy of a blank map here that i want to show to the witness. It is not marked.  Can you take a moment to look at this map. What is this?

Wit: Map of Sierra Leone

Pros: I will ask that the witness be given a magic marker. Now during your testimony, you testified that you moved from Superman Ground, to Koinadugu, then to Makeni, to Hastings and then to Yams farm. Can you put a number 1 on where Superman Ground is? Can you trace the course that you took from Superman Ground to Yormandu?

Witness identifies portion of the map indicating route.

Pros: Can you put a number 2 onto Yormandu?  After you left Yormandu, you said you travelled with men including Senegalese to Koinadugu. Can you trace the route you took to Koinadugu?

Witness identifies portion of map indicating route.

Pros: Can you mark number 3 on Koinadugu? Can you identify Pumkin Ground on the map? Put number 4 on Pumkin Ground. For the records, the witness has put the number 4 to a village called Yirafilaia. Can you trace the route that you took from there to Makeni?

Witness identifies route.

Pros: Can you put a number 5 next to Makeni? For the records, the witness has put numbre 5 next to the location. Now you said you stopped at Binkolo before entering Makeni. Can you put a number 6 next to that? For the records the witness has put a number 6 next to Binkolo. You said by Jan. 6 you were in Lunsar. Can you draw on the route you took from Makeni to Lunsar? For the records, the wintess has drawn the course that passes through Foinadugu and goes to Lunsar. can you put a number 7 to Lunsar? For the records, the witness has put a number 7 on Lunsar. Now you said on jan. 7, you travelled from Lunsar to Hastings and them to Yams Farm. Can you trace the course from Lunsar to Hastings?  The witness has traced the route through Makobo Junction, through Waterloo, and to Hastings. Put number 8 on Hastings please. So when you left Lunsar on Jan. 7, what day did you arrive at Hastings?

Wit: Jan 8

Pros: And you said you retreated to Yams Farm. Can you put a number 9 to that location? For the records, the witness has put a number 9 on a place between Hastings and Waterloo. Can i ask that the map be marked for identification?

Judge: thank you very much, that will be MFI-17

Pros: Now in May of 2000, where were you?

Wit: I was in Freetown

Pros; Did anything happen to you?

Wit: yes i was in Freetown living with my family. Sankoh was at Spur Road and Foday Lansana was at malama. I seud to go to Spur road. I was at Spur road when Issa Sesay and others abducted UN peacekeepers. Civilians decided to demonstrate. I was at Sankoh’s house when the demonstartion took place

Pros: Where was Foday Lansana at this time?

Wit: he was arrested on may 7

Pros: Do you know if any other person was arrested?

Wit: I knew that they arrested CO. Babay

Pros: Anybody else?

Wit: Mike Lamin

Pros: Do you know why they were arrested?

Wit: On May 7, i saw the SLAs who were with JPK at that time. I saw them hold a meeting at the stadium, that was where Mike Lamin was arrested. He was arrested and when they left the stadium, they went straight to where Foday Lansana was. They arrested him when he had just accompanied me to take public transport.

Pros: What happened to you on May 8?

Wit: I left my house in the morning. I wanted to go and tell Foday Lansana not to stay at the house that day because i was living among civilians  and i heard what they wanted to do on that day. But unfortunately, when i got there, all the others that were with Lansana at Malama, Sarah Jackson told me that they had arrested him. I left and went to Sankoh’s house at Spur Road. When i entered the house, it did not even take upto ten minutes, the UNAMSIL who were at the gate told the body guards that Sankoh had to lock the gate, that they were hearing the voices of the civilians who were demonstrating. I was in the compound when the civcilinas came. they started pelting stones and insulting. Sankoh came out that morning and he said all of us in the compound should not go outside. He said we should leave the civilians to do what they wanted to do and when they were tired, they will go. The civilians continued pelting stones. The UNAMSIL used the sigh board that said STOP and put it infront of the civiloians but they ignored it. they passed, were too many to be stopped and so they came to the gate and pelting stones. I entered into the living roon. All of us who were there incluyding Superman, Gibril Massaquopi, we were many in there. All of us stood. I heard gun short outside. After that, it did not take ten minutes, they started sending teargas into the compound. Apart from the flowers that were in the compount, there was nothing else one could use to ease the effect of the tear gas. So we started shouting in the coumpount. After about 30 mins, actual firing started again, launching outside. I was not outside to see who was shooting. Because we had Superman and others with us, even Sankoh, we were confident that nothing will happen. When the thing continued for like 30 mins and things were getting worse, they took sankoh out and left us in the house. We jumped over the fence and we left the compound.

Pros: Who did you leave the compound with?

Wit: We did not leave the compound with any body, except the UNAMSIL.

Pros: With whom did you leave the compound?

Wit: I, Sarah Jackson and others and some women who were wives of the RUF men. I only went with women.

Pros: After this incident, how long did you stay in Freetown?

Wit: 3 weeks

Pros: Where did you go?

Wit: I went back to Makeni

Pros; How long were you in Makeni?

Wit: i was there right upto the end of the disarmament

Pros: Now earlier in you testimony, you said you heard Liberian Stations tell Bockarie to get to the 2/1. When did you hear these messages?

Wit: When i was at PC Ground, i heard it many times

Pros: Did you hear it anywhere else?

Wit: yes even when i was in Freetown

Pros: When was that?

Wit: Before May 8

Pros: Did you hear it any other time?

Wit: many times, even when i was in Koinadugu

Pros: You mentioned an individual called Memunatu Deen, who was that?

Wit: She was Osman Tolo’s wife

Prios: Do you know if she had any duties?

Wit: I did not know the exact unit she was attached to but she went with Sankoh to Ivory Coast and later, she went to Liberia

Pros: What was her job?

Wit: I did not know her right duties but she was in Liberia

Pros: Do you remember the names of any of Superman’s bodyguards?

Wit: On which occassion?

Pros: At Superman Ground?

Wit: Yes, Bebe, Karimu whom we called Crazy, i can recall the one refered to as Jombo Blah

Pros: When you were moving from Koinadugu to Makein, do you remember any names?

Wit: From Yormandu to Koinadugu and to Makeni, i can recall their names. I think the one whose name i have not given you was Weddy, aka, High Command.

Pros: I have no more questions for this witness

Judge: Cross Examination Mr. Anya

Def: yes thank you very much your honour. I do have some bundles of documents that i will want handed out to counsel opposite and you the chamber as well.

Good afternoon Madam witness. You said you were captured by the RUF in April 1991 right?

Wit: i did not say RUF, i said NPFL

Def: Did you know what NPFL stood for at the time you were captured?

Wit: yes

 Def: You were 17?

Wit: Yes

 Pros: You were caotured with your broither?

Wit: yes

 Pros: What happened to him?

Wit: The Kamajors killed him

Def: was he fighting for RUF or NPFL?

Wit: RUF

Pros: You were 17 and your brother was also 17?

Wit: yes

 Def: Same father same mother?

Wit: yes he was my twin brother

Def: Was his death a painful exoperience?

Wit: That will never get out of my mind

Def: And he did not join the RUF voluntarily?

Wit: yes

Def: After your training, you ended up in Kolahun Liberia?

Wit: Yes

 Def: And you said you stayed with relatives who had been there long before you arrived?

Wit: I said i was with Sierra Leoneans

def: Were they related to you by blood?

Wit: By nationality

def: Before the ULIMO started attacking, you were not member of the RUF right?

Wit: yes

 DEf: Nor RUF right?

Wit: yes

 Def: You were a normal civilian?

Wit: yes

 Def; And you went back to Sierra Leone?

Wit: yes

Def: And you ended up with th RUF?

Wit: yes

 Def: By this time, you had not met Foday Lansana right?

Wit: Yes

 Def: The NPFL captured you and you ended up joining the RUF right?

Wit: yes

 Def: And you did not join the RUF voluntarily?

Wit: Yes

Def: So the RUF that took you and your brother by force, you rejoined them when you came back??

Wit: If i can clarify that, i did not escape the RUF. But the NPFL were killing the RUF Jr. Commandos thats why i escaped

Def: But your brother had been taken without his consent?

Wit: yes

 Def: Was he dead by the time you came?

Wit: I cam to Sierra Leone before he died

Def: Whe did he die?

Wit: 1995

Def: When you came back, you joined the RUF voluntarily?

Wit: I was with the RUF and i had no option, no where to go, so i moved along with them.

Def: Are you saying you did not join the RUF voluntarily?

Wit: Yes

 Def: You were a free citizen when you crossed the border when ULIMO started attacking?

Wit: yes

 Def: So once you arrived in kailahun, you were already within the RUF?

Wit: I was in RUF territory because they were in control of Kailahun

Def: Is it fair to say you returned in 1993?

Wit: yes

Def: And you just testified about an incident in  May 2000, is it fair to say you were still a mmember?

Wit: yes

Def: When did your membership end?

Wit: After disarmament

Def: When was that?

Wit: After the May 8 incident

Def: So from 1993 to 2000, you were a member of RUF?

Wit: yes

 Def: Yesterday, you said you had three children with Foday Lansana and now you have two, did you lose a child while you were in RUF?

Wit: yes

 Def: In the hands of Sam Bockarie?

Wit: yes

 Def: There was a time when you went and gave your child to Sebatu in Buedu?

Wit: yes

Def: What year was this?

Wit: 1998

Def: How old was this child?

Wit: 1 year some months

Def: You were at Superman Ground with a child of a year and few months and you gave the child to Sebatu right?

Wit: Yes

Def: And you said that child was killed through a sacrifice by Bockarie?

Wit: yes

Def: Was the child killed in 1998?

Wit: 1999

Def: Do you know which month the child was killed?

Wit: March

Def: And you remained in the RUf through 2000?

Wit: yes

 Def: Foday Lansana also remained in the RUF till May 7 2000?

Wit: yes

Def: And from the time when the child was killed till disarmament, you said you facilitated radio communicationd fromBueu bto Superman?

Wit: yes

Def: Did you ask how he killed your child?

Wit: i did not ask but i knew. The person who was sent to take the child said so, Issa told me and my sister too told me

def: What exactly did Bockarie do your child?

Wit: I dont want to explain further than that,

Judge: Why not Ms. Witness

Witness starts crying. Witness, however, says she is fine and will continue.

Def: Madam witness, what exactly did Sam Bockarie do to your child?

Wit: According to what the person who took the child told me, Sebatu’s mother took the child to one village to save them from jet raids, where my aunt was living. Sebatu will cater for food and will take it for the child. One day, she went with food to the swamp for workers and my aunt left the child to a woman. When she came back she did not see the child. She asked the woman. The woman said she left the child eating to get water but she did not see the child. They told Bockarie that a child had gone missing. he pretended not to know. He took Soldiers who arrested all the villagers including my aunt. they locked her up. After one week, the child was missing for three days, and that was the time UN had brought Sankoh for him to talk to RUF for peace. I was on set when they passed the message that my child was missing, On that very day, Bockarie had passed an order that if Sankoh called, no station should talk to him ,when he will want to talk to us about peace. When i tried to call Zed Man to enquire from him, Biockarie insulted me on the radio. He said i was violating his order. From that day, i did not go to Buedu. When ever i called my sister, she was not allowed to talk to me., I tried but could not find any source on how my child had gone missing. Before Issa could turn against Bockaroe, people said that Bocakrie might have arranged something with my sister for the child. But i denied. When Bockarie was going to Liberia, all of them followed him.

Def: My question was, what do you mean by sacrifice ritual?

Wit: he sacrificed him for power. he buried him alive. the poerson who buried him told me.

Def: Foday Lansana’s child?

Wit: yes

 Def: And you remained with the same RUF?

Wit: yes’

Def: And you facilitated communication from Bockarie to Superman?

Wit: yes

 Def: Ad Lansana also continued to be signall commander?

Wit: yes

 Def: This was the same Lansana that Bocklarie had tried to kill?

Wit: yes

Def: When did you warn Lansana about this, what year?

Wit: 1998

Def: And you warned him because you overheard something on radio?

Wit: yes

 Def: So in 1998, Bocklarie tried to kill the father of your child, and in 1999, same man kills your young child?

Wit: yes

 Def: Did it occur to you that you should leave the RUF?

Wit: I did  not know that it was Bockarie who buried the child until after the disamament.

Def: Your sister did not know the right story?

Wit: No

Def: You spoke of some herbalists right, seven or more?

Wit: they were more than seven but those who were doing the job were seven

Def: This was in 1998 right?

Wit: yes

Def: And Bockarie sent the herbalists to join you at PC Ground?

Wit: yes

 Def: What was the purpose of having these herbalists?

Wit: they came to mark out bodies as protection against bullets

Def: You added that they were sent by Taylor?

Wit: yes

 Def: Who told you that?

Wit: The Gbandi woman in the group

Def: Remember the month?

Wit: I cant remember the exact month

Def: Remember that Taylor was president in 1998?

Wit: yes

 Def: And so the president was sending herbalist to protect the RUF?

Wit: Yes

Def: You said you also spoke to some of the herbalists?

Wit: I was talking with the woman directly

Def: You were marked on your body over 100 times?

Wit: 168

Def: With razor blade?

Wit: yes

Def: Juju means witch doctor or medicine in  West Africa?

Wit: Yes

 Def: And in Africa, when someone is ill, he can go to hospital or to a juju man right?

Wit: yes

 Def: Some people believe that Juju can protect you from harm?

Wit: yes

 DEf: And can cure illnesses?

Wit: yes

 Def: And you went upto form five?

Wit: yes

 Def: And you belive that people in villages mostly believe in Juju?

Wit: yes

Def: Do you believe that the people who believe in Juju mostly have less education?

Wit: No

Def: So people who have gone to university believe in Juju just as much as illitrates in the village?

Wit: yes

 Ded: Did you believe it when you said the President of Liberia sent these people?

Wit: yes

Def: The part of these juju men being sent by Taylor, you added that part about ten days ago?

Wit: yes

Def: Your first meeting with them was in October 2007?

Wit: yes

Def: You met with them for 7 days in Oct right

Wit: yes

Def: You next met with them on Nov 16 2007?

Wit: yes

Def: And Dec. 5 2007?

Wit: yes

Def; And Mar. 2008?

Wit: yes

Def: And May 24 and 25 2008?

Wit: Yes

Def: And you last meeting as on June 13 2008?

Wit: yes

 Def: In Mar. 2008 here is what you told OTP about the herbalists. Para. 21, you said your job was to interprete for the herbalists right?

Wit: yes

Def: And we go further,these are notes of your meeting about five months back, and in para. 58, you said they were hired by Bockarie and were in Buedu. Why did you say they were hired by Bockarie?

Wit: I am sure that when i was with the OTP like i am with the court now, when they asked me questions, based on how they asked me, that is how i will answer. And that particular incident took place at Buedu, the other one i spoke about was the one that took place at my base. It might be that the person made a mistake by saying they were hired by Bockarie. But it was Bockarie who handed them over to Superman.

Def: I am asking about the inconsistency between the two that, one you said, Bockarie hired them, and later you said something different

Wit: I said it was probably the way the question was asked to me.

DEf: And at the back of the same page, there is no mention that they were sent by Taylor. It talks of you being marked after Superman was marked. No reference to Taylor sending the herbalists?

Wit: I can start my saying if i am reading what is infront of me, it was what happened when i was at Superman base. What you ask me is what i will answer. I am not sure i had the right to say they were sent by Taylor when they did not ask me.

Def: Do you see in para. 59, the name Taylor appears there and there is reference to the herbalists. Do you see that? You talked about the arms sent by Taylor but not the herbalists?

Wit: I can say that my interview was based on questions that were asked of me.

Def: This reference to arms and ammunition, this is the second instatnce when you knew of arms sent to PC ground when you thought they were from Liberia?

Wit: yes

Def: You said that it was your sister Sebatu who told you about the arms and ammunition?

Wit: yes

Def: You gave a statement in Oct. last year, it was read to you and you signed, do you see your signature on the page?

Wit: yes

Def: You could have corrected any inconsisties before signing right?

Wit: How could i have corrected it?

Def: Could you not have corrected it when they read it to you?

 Wit: Like i have been saying, like i am reading now, if i had read my statement like i am doing now, anytime i met with them, they will take off from where we stopped. They asked me if i believd the ammunitions had come from  Liberia, i said i believed. When i talk of Issa Sesay and Fonte Kanu, it was out of the missing diamonds. Senior officers knew that the diamonds had gone to Liberia and were missing. I can still defened my statements. the way the questions were put to you was the way i answered.

Def: But i am not asking you about diamonds, i am asking you what makes you think they came from Liberia, In October laste year, you said Maj. Sellay told you. In March this year, you said it was Sebatu?

Wit: I said when i was at PC Ground, Maj. Sellay told me because i was talking with him on radio, but when i went ti Buedu, Sebatu told me.

Def: You made corrections to your statements on Dec. 5 2007 right?

Wit: yes

Def: Madam president, i see the time.

Judge: yes, Madam witness, its now time for us to break for the day. Be reminded that you should not discuss your evidence with anybody while you are under oath. Please adjourn court for 9:30 tomorrow.