12:00 _12:30 with 30 mins delay in video and audio):

Judge: Mr. Koumjin, you may proceed.

Pros: Thank you your honour. Mr. Witness, can you tell us where you went after Makeni was taken?

Wit: Yes, Lunsar

Pros: After Makeni was taken, do you know where Gullit was?

Wit: yes, he was at Waterloo

Pros: Did you hear any news about his movement from Waterloo?

Wit: Yes, at first, i heard he attacked Masiaka and from there he attacked Waterloo

pros: Did you hear where he went from Waterloo?

Wit: Yes, he attacked Benguema.

Pros: After SAJ Musa died, what happened to the forces?

Wit: They advanced to Freetown

Pros: Where were you then?

Wit: Masiaka

Pros: Where did you hear that?

Wit: From our radio communication

Pros: What was it that you heard?

Wit: Superman was at Gbere junction at the time we were in Masiaka. He sent a car behind us informing us that the men were advancing to Freetown and so we should go and take waterloo

Pros: What was the reaction of the forces with you on this news

Wit: We were all happy

Pros: What was Superman’s reaction?

Wit: He joined us to take Waterloo

Pros: Did you hear anything else later about these forces?

Wit: Yes, Superman told us that we should go and open the road to join out friends in the city

Pros: Did you hear anything about these forces from any other source?

Wit: Yes. I heard from other people that the men entered Freetown and were heading for State House

Pros: Do you know if they entered Freetown?

Wit: yes they did

Pros: how did you know that?

Wit: From the area i stopped, i saw the destruction, and we heard it from radio communication and some of our friends

pros: Where were you exactly when you saw this?

We: We advanced on yams farm. Yams farm was ontop of a hill, so we could see what was happening in Freetown. We also heard Sam Bockarie on BBC

Pros: was there any reason why you were listening to BBC?

Wit: Yes, some of the communication between Bockarie and Superman, i was not in the radio room but Superman would tell us that Bockarie will be on BBC

Pros: Who were the commanders of the forces that entered Freetown?

Wit: Gullit, Bazzy

pros: Who was the overall commander?

Wit: Bazzy was senior for Gullit but i dont know what the command structure was when they were fighting

Pros: was there any attempt to join the others in Freetown?

Wit: When we got to Waterloo, some senior officers met and distributed the troops. Bebe was to attack Benguema and Rambo was ti led us to attack Hastings.

Pros: Who were you with at that time?

Wit: RUF Rambo

Pros: What other commanders were with Rambo?

Wit: Rambo Red Goat, Crazy and others

Pros: What happened with your group?

Wit: We attacked and cleared up Hastings. We went to Jui. We could not over run Jui. We got orders from Issa that there was another road that passed from Kossoh Town to Freetown. he said we should release some men to use that route while we tried to clear the main road through Jui.

Pros: What happened when that order came?

Wit: They sent rambo Red Goat to lead the troops to Freetown.

Pros: Where were you when these troops left?

Wit: We were part of Jui, ECOMOG on one side and we on the other side

pros; Why were you unable to go through Jui?

Wit: Jui was one of the strongest bases for ECOMOG. It was from Jui that they ran the intervention to Freetown

Pros: What ECOMOG forces were at Jui?

Wit: Nigerians

Pros: was there any fighting before Rambo Red Goat was dispatched?

Wit: yes

 Pros: Can you tell us how many men Rambo Red Goat went with?

Wit: About 60-65

Pros: Who were the men that went with Rambo?

Wit: Some RUF, SLA, STF

Pros: Do you know where Rambo Red Goat’s troops went?

Wit: To Freetown

Pros: You siad there was a bridge, where was it?

Wit: Betwen Jui and Freetown

Pros: Did you go through the bridge?

Wit: No, we did not get accross, it was well protected by ECOMOG

Pros: Do you know how Rambo’s group entered the city?

Wit: yes, From jui, the part we were occupying, there was an old road that he used to Kossoh Town. When you cross that river, you go to Freetown directly

Pros; So where did your group go?

Wit: We went back to Yams farm. We mounted check points, killed some civilians to make the area fearful.

pros: How long were you at Yams Farm?

Wit: We were there i think for a week and we retreated.

Pros: Did you receive information about what was going on in Freetown?

Wit: yes

Pros: How?

Wit: At first, they called and said they had taken over statehouse, next they called that they had gone to Pademba Road and had freed some of the men like Gibril Massaquoi. Next they called that they had been attacked by ECOMOG. Sam Bockarie also went over BBC and said if any contingent attacked his men, they will burn all the embassies in Freetown.

Pros: Did they say anything else?

Wit: They talked about burning down houses, putting motor tires on the streets, killing people

Pros: How long did they stay in Freetown?

Wit: I can remember two weeks

Pros: What happened at the end of the time they were in Freetown?

Wit: When they were retreating, they started burning house, they abducted so many girls and killed people

Pros; Why did they retreat?

Wit: They said they ran out of ammunition. Gullit called Bockarie to say they were retreating

Pros: What did Bockarie do then?

Wit: he instructed Issa and Superman to get free passage for the men who were retreating.

Pros: Was their any threat to their withdrawal?

Wit: yes, one of the things like i said was they were running out of ammunition and the pressure on them was not easy.

Pros: How did they retreat?

Pros: they took the road going towards Grafton and the peninsular, got down to Waterloo. That was the time a bomb blasted on Steve Bio and he died

Pros: Who was attacking you when you were defending the road?

Wit: the ECOMOG troops at Jui. They were attacking Clay which was a combat camp for us.

Pros: Mr. Witness, you have told us about varius events in Sierra leone, do you know when it was that these forces entered Freetown?

Wit: January 6, 1999

Pros: Did you ever leave Sierra leone after jan. 1999?

Wit: yes

 Pros: When was the first time you left?

Wit: The starting of the rainy season, i cant remember the month

Pros: Why did you leave?

Wit: I was told by Superman to go to Bockarie, who will give us instructions to go to Liberia to help our brothers there who were facing problems

pros: What year was this?

Wit: 1999

Pros: Did you go alone?

Wit: I went with other people

Pros: With other people

Pros: Like who?

Wit: Some and AFRC fighters

pros: Where were you based before you went to Buedu?

Wit: Makeni

Pros: When you met iun Buedu, who did you meet with?

Wit: Sam Bockarie

Pros: What happened when you met him?

Wit: They called a muster parrade and he addressed us

pros: About how man people at the muster parrade?

Wit: Upto 400-500 people.

Pros: What did he say?

Wit: He said we should cross to Foya, that there was a group fighting against Taylor and we should go and repel them.

Pros: When Superman said to go and help your brothers, who did you understand him to mean?

Wit: the Liberian government

Pros: What happend after the muster parrade?

Wit: Bockarie dispersed us and we went to Foya

Pros: Was anyone in charge of the group you were with?

Wit: yes, CO Eagle

Pros: who was Eagle

pros: He was one of the senior RUF officers

Pros: was your group armed?

Wit: Well armed

Pros: What happened when you got to Foya?

Wit: People started jubilating, the AFL soldiers we met there were happy. We slept, the next day, a helicopter came, Benjamin Yeaten, Jack the Rebel were all inside.

Pros: Do you know the nationality of Jack the rebel?

Wit: Yes, he was Liberian
Pros: What do you mean by the AFL?

Wit: Armed Forces of Liberia

Pros: What happened after your arrival?

Wit: After the arrival of Yeaten and others, they called a muster parrade at the airfield

Pros: Did any one speak at the parrade?

Wit: yes, first was Liberian Mosquito, and the Yeaten

pros: What did Yeaten say at the parrade?

Wit: he welcomed us and said we should push the Mosquito Spray group since we well all fighting the same goal.

pros: Apart from Eagle, who were the other RUF guys that you were with?

Wit: There was Col. Sheriff, an SLA

Pros: What was the command structure for the operation?

Wit: Eagle was the overall boss for us but for the entire operation, Liberian Mosquito was the overall commander.

Pros: Do you know who Liberian Mosquito reported to?

Wit: Sometimes he reported to Bockarie and sometimes to the army headquarters.

Pros: What happend after the parrade?

Wit: They planned the war. Then we started moving towards Kolahun

Pros: What happened when you moved to Kolahun?

Wit: We attacked Kolahun and pushed the rebels from there

pros: What was the other operation?

Wit: We went to Visela and based there, we pushed them to Voinjama. Then we moved them to the Guinea border.

Pros: What was the name of this force?

Wiot: they used to call themselves Mosquito Spray.

Pros: Then what did your forces do?

Wit: The AFL deployed at the border. We retreated to Voinjama and based there

Pros: During this operation, did your forces acquire anything in Liberia?

Wit: yes, we looted all over, the NGO cars, food, medicines and other items

Pros; What did you do with the cars?

Wit: We crossed with them to Sierra leone. the commanders were using them

Pros: Did the cars have any markings?

Wit: Some had UNDP, some had UNICEF, different NGos

Pros: Diod you stay in Voinjama or did you move?

Wit: They tols us to move to Foya. They told us they were bringing some items for us there. A helicopter came with the items. Eagle called Bockarie and told him about the items. Bockarie came over to Foya that very evening. He said the items were not enough for the fighters. There were sandals/footwears.

Pros: What happened after Bockarie came to Foya?

Wit: the next day we brought the same helivcopter. Bockarie boarded the helicopter and they left

pros: Where did you go after that?

Wit: We went to Buedu

Pros: So how long do you think you spent in Liberian for this operation?

Wit: I think upto two weeks

pros: What happened when you got to Buedu?

Wit: After 3 days, Bockarie returned and brought some items, like jeans, shirts, food stuffs. he said he had arranged the problems he had with the items. he said the Liberian government said we should send some men to go and base at Voinjama. they selected about 60 of us to go there.

Pros: Where did you go when you left Buedu?

Wit: To Foya, there we met Zig Zag Maaza. We flew with Marza in a helicopter to Voinjam. Some others went in a truck.

Pros: Was there a commander fo your group?

Wit: CO Eagle was still the commander

pros: What happened when you arrived?

Wit: We were based there. Maaza told us he was going to Zorzor. Myself and Mustapha were taken to Yeaten’s compound by Maaza.

Pros: Where was Yeaten’s compound?

Wit: In a secondary school campus.

pros: What happened when you arrived at the compound?

Wit: We met lots of senior officers. Maaza said these are the boys from Buedu. He said he wanted the two of us to stay with Yeatan. he told me to stay with his younger brother Calvin Yeaten, aka Busy Boy.

Pros: Did you learn what Yeaten’s position was?

Wit: yes. SSS Diorector, Unit 50

Pros: what were his responsibilities?

Wit: To protect the president

pros: You have talked about Sam Bockarie, what was his position on Sierra leone at this time?

Wit: Acting leader of the RUF

Pros: Did that ever change?

Wit: yes

pros: What happened when it changed?

Wit: I was in Liberia when we started hearing some noise in Sierra leone. I was briefed by Yeaten that some of your brothers will be coming to base in Liberia including Bockarie. A week from that, we saw him with his group crossing over to Liberia

pros: Prior to him crossing, did you see any preparation for his arrival?

Wit: We went to Monrovia with Yeaten. We saw a woman called Kadiatu who was special assistant to Taylor. She told Yeaten that they had already located a compound where Bockarie will stay when he got to Liberia.

Pros: Who did Bockarie cross over with?

Wit: he crossed with upto 1000 men to Liberia, people that were loyal to him.

Pros: Were these all men?

Wit: Both men and female

Pros: Any children or old people?

Wit: yes, Bockarie himself had his children

pros: Do you know where he went when he crossed over to Liberia?

Wit: yes, when he crossed, the next day, saw him, i was in a car with Yeaten, i saw him in a Nissan patrol jeep going to the Mansion, Bockarie, Jungle, vanmunya Sheriff, all of us drove to the Mansion.

Pros: Can you give us an idea of when this happened?

Wit: I can only remember the year, in 1999

Pros: Who was Sheriff in the car with Bockarie?

Wit: Vamunya Sheriff was one of the deputy directors under Yeaten

Pros: What happened with the fighting men that crossed with Bockarie?

Wit: They put them in the group and sent some to the base at Gbatala. Some were in the SSS and ATU.

Pros: What was the ATU?

Wit: They were Anti Terrorist Unit, external bodyguards to the president.

pros: Can you say the relationship between the SSS and ATU?

Wit: The ATU, they used the long range AK and other weapons, the SSS only used pocket weapons. They were close to the president.

Pros: After Bockarie arrived in Liberia, do you know what he did?

Wit: He was in Liberia

Pros: Do you know if he had any job?

Wit: Yes, i used to see him at Yeaten’s house, he said he will be part of the SSS as adviser to Yeaten

Pros: Do you know if Bockarie went anywhere lese?

Wit: he later went on exile

Pros: What do you mean?

Wit: he moved to a different country and stayed there

Pros: What happend with his family that he came with?

Wit: they were in Monrovia

Pros: do you know where he lived when he was in Liberia?

Wit: yes, Pinsville, ELWA Junction. The nickname for the area was Sierra Leone embassy

pros: Why was it called Sierra Leone embassy?

Wit: because when Bockarie was there, he rented all the houses for his bodyguards and there were many Sierra Leoneans in that area

Pros: Do you know whether Bockarie arrived in Liberia before or after the Lome accord?

Wit: I am not sure

Pros: When Bockarie was in Liberia, do you know if the Liberian people were aware of his presence?

Wit: yes, some were aware

Pros: Did anything happen regarding public knowledge of his presence there?

Wit: Yes. They had a fighter who was deputer chief of army staff, samuel Vanneh, he fought along Prince Johnson. Bockarie had an affair with his daughter. The man got annoyed and he went over the radio and made a public announcement of his preseence. That was how people knew that he was there. because before that, when there was a press conference, Taylor and others will deny his presence in the country.

pros: Did you hear the radio announcement?

Wit: I heard the replay in the evening.

pros: Did you receive any order at this time?

Wit: Later i received an order from Yeaten

pros: About how long after Vannay spoke on the radio?

Wit: I think two years later

Pros: What was the order you received?

Portion redacted for witness protection measures.

Pros: When you were in Liberia, did you have any means of communication?

Wit: yes. I had a satelite phone, a cell phone

Pros: Are they two different kinds of phones?

Wit: yes

 Pros: Where did you obtain the satelite phone?

Wit: Benjamin Yeaten gave me the phone

Pros: What did you use the satelite phone for?

Wit: To communicate to the variuous frontlines

Pros: Could you call other satelitee phones?

Wit: yes

 Pros: Could you call other cell phones?

Wit: yes

 Pros: What other peopel did you call?

Wit: Yeaten, Senegalese, Sea Breeze, Roland Doe, Eric Wongbeh

Pros: Is this the same Senegalese who joined you in Koinadugu?

Wit: No, this was a direct bodyguard to Taylor

Pros: Do you recall anyone else who had a satelite phone?

Wit: Taylor had

Pros: Did any other SSS members have satelite phone?

Wit: Jungle, Daniel Tamba had one, even the Sierra Leoneans, Mohamed Bajehjeh, Rashid Sheriff had one, lots of people had.

Pros: While you were in Sierra Leone, did you see anyone with satelite phone in Sierra Leone?

Wit: yes, Issa Sesay, Sam Bockarie

Pros: Anyone else?

Wit: No i cant remember

pros: How would you pay for the use fo the satelite phone?

Wit: Like me, they used to give me control numbers which will be inserted into the phone.

Pros: You mentioned that Taylor had a satelite phone, how did youn know that?

Wit: I had a direct number for his satelite phone and the cell phone. I can only remember the cell phone number because it was short

Pros: can you tell us his cell number?

Wit: yes, it was 06510547

Pros: This will be a convinient point to break for lunch.

Judge: Thank you. Mr. Witness, we will now adjourn for lunch and resume at 2:30. Please adjourn court for 2:30.