12.30-14.00 (with 30 mins delay in video and audio)
Def: Before the break we were examing witness TFI-584 I would like to pick up where we left of. This is the green line that appears on the map. On this map you traced for us the routes you took when you left PC ground and ended up in Koinadugu.
Do you see that you started on PC ground, went to Bumbuna, Kayima and ended up in Koinadugu.
Did you meet this fellow in Koinadugu by the name of Senagalese.
The map continues from Koinadugu all the way to (…)
Wit: Is that correct: Baudu
Def: the prosecution gave you a map like this, outside of court and asked you to trace the routes you took from …. Can show this map as well. It is an out of court map with the number 00100939. Do you see your signature on the left hand corner of the map? This map was signed out of court. What you marked is the route when you left Superman ground. Do you see on this map. You have shown that you passed the towns of Saudi and Madud. Madam witness do you see what I am pointing out? According to your out of court map your group passed also Saudi and Madud?
Go from Meor to Tembodi? Do you see Pajema, it goes down to Omadje. When you marked the map in court, you did not include these towns, did you?
Wit: No
Def: Can we go back to MFI 17? I want to go to the to upper portion of the map. The Orange line goes from Tombolo to Bendugu. From Bendugu al the way up to Koinadugu. You drew that in court for us a few days back. This is the route you and your RUF member took all the way to Koinadugu. It was you who drew the green line?
Wit: yes
Def: and you are the same person that drew both maps?
Wit: yes
Def: now when you look at the map that is in front of you. Let’s take Makeni for example. Do you see any woods in that map?
Wit: yes
Def: underneath Makeni does it say 12/24?
Wit: yes
Def: that means december the 24th,madam witness
Wit: yes.
Def: was it you that wrote that on the map, madam witness? So you were on the 24th of december there and heading to Freetown
Wit: No
Def: what does december 24th mean?
Wit: It was the day I left the village where I was to go to Makeni. After I had identified it, they asked me to mark December 24th to it. Actually I arrived in Makeni on December 25.
Def: so you marked Makeni with the date you left? what does 1/6 mean?
Wit: 6th of january
Def: and does that mean, you left the 6th of january?
Wit: yes.
Def: you said you headed both over the radio. Was this both the RUF-radio network and the commercial AFRC network? When you go down this map, do you see 1/8?
Wit: yes
Def: What does 1/8 mean? When exactly did you get to Hastings?
Wit: I left Lunsar and I got to Hastings the following morning about 4 or 5 o’clock
Def: so you left Lunsar to Hastings and arrived at 4 or 5?
Wit: Yes
Def: did you tell us in Court yesterday that you arrived in Hastings on the 8th.?
Wit: I left Lunsar at the 8th at 4.30 and I got to hastings the following morning at 4.30. they asked me whether it as 4.30 in the morning or afternoon.
Def: can we see MFI-17 again. With respect to both maps that the witness marked outside of court with the identificationnumbers ending at 0930 and 0940.
Judge: 0940 will be marked as MFI-2 and map 0930 as MFI 3.
Def: Do you know the real name of Senagalese
Wit: I do not know another name for him.
Def: was this the first time you met him. Superman already left to Bendugu.
Wit: Yes it was Senagalese who met me.
Def: what nationality was this fellow?
Wit: I did not ask Senagalese about his nationality. He told me he was from Liberia. I did not asked him for his nationality because he spoke the english liberian accent.
Def: how many men did you meet in this group?
Wit: 30
Def: what were they?
Wit: what they told me they were STF.
Def: What is STF?
Wit: STF= Special Task Force.
Def: Was STF in 1998, in Sierra Leone? The leader was David Livingstone Brookley, General Brookley. STF has been in Liberia for a long time?
Wit: yes
Def: STF was made of ex-ULIMO fighters?
Wit: yes
Def: ULIMO was the enemy of the NPFL in Liberia in 1993? STF was made of ex-ULIMO fighters from liberia?
Wit: I cannot tell peoples mind. But I knew who fought ULIMO in Liberia.
Def: you spend more time in Sierra Leone than in Liberia?
Wit: yes
Def: it is the same ULIMO in Sierra Leone in 1993 and ULIMO in Liberia in 1998?
Wit: the ULIMO came to know them when they came to join the STF. All the STF who came they were ULIMO. I don’t know, maybe they were the ULIMO who were fighting against Charles Taylor.
Def: have you told the prosecution that they were ex-ULIMO fighters?
Wit: yes
Def: why did you not believe that the men were STF?
Wit: the STF who joind the ARFC where (…) they did not speak proper Krio. They spoke Liberian. They were not part of the STF, I knew.
Def: Senagales was a STF member?
Wit: No
Def: have you told the prosecution before that he was STF?
Wit: I said that Bangura told me he was STF.
Def: you also told the STF that some of you knew where Wallis, also know Sinaba dry, Ngallah, Kormo and then you named Senagalese. He was very tall and spoke French and English, he included the STF.
Wit: He was together with the STF, they spoke similar languages and ate the same food.
Def: where did you here the name the Red Lion Battalion?
Wit: at Koinadugu. Red Lion Battalion was formed at the time I was in Koinadugu.
def: The first time you heard about the Red Lion Battalion was in Koinadugu. When you were on Superman ground you never heard the name Red Lion Battalion.
Did you tell the pros that Senagales came to the Superman ground, is that were you saw him?
Wit: I told them that Senagalese passed thorugh Superman ground and I was in Jamandu. They followed me to Jamandu and that is when I saw him.
Def: can we show p. 20 to the witness. If you look at par 1.19. when you speak to Senagalese and agrees that the Red Lion Battalion was compressed as AFRC, RUF, STF . Senagalese had travelled there in a convoi.
Wit: I see it, but I am sure that I made some correction. Red Lion Battalion was AFRC, RUF and STF that move to join the other group.
Def: you corrections are found onp 4 regarding par 1.19: witness indicates this mistake. Witness does not believe that Senagalese was in Freetown. She descibed him as a person that would stick out in a crowd. Do you see that it did not change anything about when you saw Senagalese for the first time?
Wit: I think I made that correction. When I was with the prosecution. I saw him at Pumpkin ground, I knew he went to Freetown.
Def: lets go to tab 4 page 2. par 5 and 6. par 5 where you speak of your arrival at Koinadugu the middle of the paragraph states that after the next day she arrived in Koinadugu. The general arrived in Koinadugu with mission and food. They came from Bendugu and these fighters belonged to Charles Taylor’s forced in Liberia. They were to join Sam Bockarie’s group. The witness states this was the first time she met Senagalese. Is this the correction you are referring to?
Wit: It was the first time I met general Senagalese in Koinadugu.
Def: so it was Koinadugu
Wit: yes
Def: earlier you said you met him at the Superman ground.
Wit: yes, I corrected it.
Def: in March you did not corrrect this. You were more concerned whether he was in Freetown.
Wit: yes. Based on the time the correction took place. It was a repeated question whether Senagalese was STF or not. It was that question I answered to. They did not ask me to read it and correct it.
Def: if you look to p.7 the liberian fighters were staying with the STF fighters?
Wit: yes
Def: have you heard the Red Lion Battalion?
Wit: I did not meet the Red Lion Battalion.
Def: who formed the Red Lion Battalion?
Wit: I was not a Koinadugu during the formation of the Red Lion Battalion. I knew the commanders. Most of them were SLA’s. I did not know who formed them.
Def: who was the commander of the group Red Lion Battalion in Koinadugu?
Wit: SL Rambo, red goat.
Def: have you heard of a place named Colonel Eddy Town?
Wit: I do not know.
Def: have you heard the name Mad Bajeje or Mohamed Bajeje?
Wit: yes
Def: who is Mohamed Bajeje?
Wit: he was an commander and a SLA
Def: was Gullit there when you left Koinadugu. Do you know who Gullit is?
Wit: I don’t recall but when I see him I would remember
him by his phisical structure.
Def: do you know his real name?
Wit: I do not recall his name now.
Def: you make a distinction between the old Red Lion
Battalion and the new Red Lion Battalion?
Wit: yes like I said I entered Koinadugu and the next day the new Red Lion Battalion was formed. I met the first one in Koinadugu.
Def: was it also formed in Koinadugu
Wit: I was in Koinadugu when they founded the new Red Lion Battalion.
Def: Was colonel the commander of the new or old Red Lion Battalion?
Wit: the old one.
Def: who was the commaner of the new Red Lion Battalion?
Wit O’five
Def: who found the new Red Lion Battalion
Wit: Superman
Def: what were the groups made of?
Wit: STF, SLA, RUF
Def: general Brookley was in Koinadugu at the time.
Superman was in charge of Brookley. Who commanded who?
Wit: yes, superman.
Def: what was the purpose for your group to travel, what was the objective of this trip?
Wit: I answerd that Superman received an instrution to go and attack the SLA that were with Musah. The group I moved from Superman ground with were to join Superman at Superman’s base.
Def: you told the prosecution that the group was instructed to attack and kill Musah.
Wit: yes
Def: do you know Colonol Bundama. He was one of the commanders you told us about in Koinadugu. Did Bundama had bodyguards?
Wit: Yes
Def: are you aware that Superman was Liberian. Superman also had bodyguards assigned to him?
Wit: yes
Def: are you aware that the Red Lion Battalion was made of Superman’s bodyguards?
Wit: the Red Lion Battalion was not only made of the bodyguards of Superman. It was a mixed group. His main bodyguard was deputy chef to O’five.
Def: how many men, bodyguards were there?
Wit: I did not count each of every person. I joined the RUF and I was not given the job to count the numbers of peoples. The people who had that role probably know, but I do not know, but I can estimate 300.
Def: how many fighters comprised the new Red Lion Battalion?
Wit: like I said I met the old one already formed. I did not know how many men constitued it.
Def: are you arware that you said before that the Red Lion Battalion is commanded by Mohamed bajeje.
Wit; I would not deny that. Like I said, anybody who comes here tells what they know. I am telling you what I know.
Def: Let’s see what the other witness said about the Red
Lion Battalion. His real name is Nygin Koytu.
Wit: I know him, yes.
Def: Well I asked him some questions. Actually Mr Santoro. Page 4529 line 17. One more question. You said that CY and Jumbo Blah were to join other platoons and O’five. He answered that Jumbo Blah was part of the Red Lion Battalion. It was the bodyguard unit of Superman and Musah. Do you agree?
Wit: what I knew…
Def: do you agree or disagree?
Wit: I disagree
Def: Do you agree that the Red Lion Battalion were the bodyguards of Musah?
Wit: Disagree
Judge Sebutinde: This is not the Red Lion Battalion she knows as the Red Lion Battalion. She only knows the new Red Lion Battalion.
Def: let’s stay with your Red Lion Battalion.
Wit: When I went to the base the old one already existed. The ones that comprised was SLA. I do not know that they were solely Musah’s bodyguard.
Judge Doherty: What question was put to the witness bodyguards of Superman of Musah?
Def: I am talking about the new Red Lion Battalion and Superman. Do you consider that battalion the bodyguard of Superman?
Wit: the old Red Lion Battalion, no.
Def. Do you consider the old battalion the bodyguard of Musah?
Wit: I have spoken about the old one. If I can talk about the boduguard units I mean the one that spoke to Musah directly. I do no know who they were guarding. I now that the majority who formed the Red Lion Battalion were SLA.
Def: Do you consider the old battalion the bodyguard of Musah?
Wit: I know Superman formed the group. His bodyguards were part of this group, but they were not more that 10. The Boduguards for Superman in the new Red Lion Battalion were not more that 10 out of 300 people. So I cannot consider them to be solely Superman’s unit.
Def: would you agree that some of them were supermans bodyguard
Wit: yes
Def: do you know if any bodyguards were members of the Red Lion Battalion.
Wit: I cannot tell I do not know much about the old Red Lion Battalion.
Def: and the new one?
Wit: part of them were there.
Def: were they formed up to 1000 fighters in your presence in Koinadugu?
Wit: I do not know
Def: How many fighters or persons made up the new red lion battalion
Wit: 300
Def: why did you go to Koinadugu. while you were there, size of about 1000 men being formed while you were there?
Wit: no
Def: was Lansala there?
Wit: yes
Def: Gullit?
Wit: No
Def: Gullit was not there?
Wit: I have not see him.
Def: Have you heard the name Magrego Manneh there?
Wit: I don’t remember.
Def: Did any reinforcement arrive from Roses to Koinadugu.
Wit: no
Def: lets go to page 47, lines 27. You are talking about enforcement sent to Koinadugu. Actually line 27 is an answer, the question starts at line 24. Question: what are you referring to when Gullit requested for reinforcement. Answer: Reinforcement is given to the group, arms, ammunition or manpower. Answer: Did gullit request any enforcement on any point? Answer: yes. Gullit requested a battalion strong manpower. Question what happened to this request? Answer: Superman, Manneh, Brookley and Tambajamba made it possible to organize a battalion strong manpower, with ammunition and these were send to Gullit to Rosos.
My point is: You were not aware that Gullit was in Koinadugu when you were there. While in Koinadugu about a 1000 batallion was formed.
Wit: yes
Def: you said that Superman, Musah, Brookley and Tambajanda made it possible to organize a battalion stron manpower. Question: Where did you see them. Answer: They were assembled in Koinadugu. Question: Can you describe the composition? Answer: Yes there were 1000 in number. Question who was in the battalion. Answer, all the five commanders were in charge to lead them to Rosos. He is telling the court that while in Koinadugu a battalion of 1000 man was formed. Do you agree?
Wit: I do not know that whether the battalion was formed prior to my visit to Koinadugu. He was there before me.
Def: You will see that he is indicated that the Red Lion Battalion was constituted on the O’five. Do you know where the other platooons were from?
Wit: CY and Blah were Superman’s bodyguards. Within the unit, like any other unit in the RUF, you would be in a platoon, a compound or a squad. I knew they were bodyguards but I did not know under what platoon they fel.
Def: King Perry was in Koinadugu aka Perry Kamara
Wit: yes
Def: Perry Kamara was speaking about Koinadugu and the Red Lion Battalion. Transscript from feb 6th page 3187. mr Bangura asked where did the Red Lion Battalion go and the COBRA battalion? Answer: Bodyguards formed the Red Lion Battalion, COBRA were Superman’s bodyguard. Together these formed the RUF contigent. There was a STF unit as well. Perry Kamara sugeesting that Komba’s and Superman’s bodyguards made up the Red Lion Battalion.
Wit: I disagree, I know that Komba’s and Superman’s bodyguards also had the name COBRA and were also among the Red Lion Battalion
Def: let’s see what the transscripts says about this: We are all fighters, the AFRC, STF and RUF. There were 1000 of fighters, you must have units. We had one unit. I am not talking of the AFRC. It was two groups that dominated the whole group. Red lion was a battalion of its own, compressed by Komba’s bodyguards. RUF overwhelmed the Red Lion Battalion. So RUF was part of Red Lion Battalion. Red Lion Battalion was compressed by Komba’s bodyguards. Do you agree madam witness?
Wit: no
Def: so this was a significant amount of fighters, 1000 fighters.
Wit: I disagree
Def: have you heared the name Striker?
Wit: I heared that name in many places.
Def: have you heared that name in combination with the Red
Lion Battalion
Wit: yes. I did not hear anything about him
Def: Kamara told us that he was the commander of the Red Lion Battalion
Wit: I was not there when he was talking.
Def: who was the Red Lion Battalion commander? Striker, says Kamara, and O’five as well. Do you agree
Wit: I am saying what I know and I know O’five was the commander. Striker was the bodyguard unit commander but not for the Red Lion Battalion. He was part of the Red Lion Battalion.
Def: another witness came to the court and talked about Red Lion Battalion. Alimana Bobsinsisi. He said that on 23 april 2008. page 8316. He said Gullit formed the Red Lion Battalion. Question: Why was the group called Red Lion Battalion? Answer: When they came to Koinadugu that is the name they had. Question: When they came Gullit established the Red Lion Battalion. Bobsinsisi is saying that they came from Colonol Eddy Town and how Gullit formed the Red Lion Battalion. So he makes a distinction into the Red Lion Group before becoming the Red Lion Battalion.
Wit: I disagree
Def: Question: Of the 200 men how many came form the Red Lion Battalion? Answer: About 50 from the Red Lion Battalion Group an later they formed the Red Lion Battalion when they came to Colonol Eddy Town.
Wit: I disagree. I don’t know if I am allowed to explain. I am saying to this court that the Red Lion Battalion moving from Koinadugu was not a group but a battalion. There were serveral platoons, formed a batallion. The amount that left was not a goup, but a battalion. Maybe when they went to Rosos.
Def: I recall that you earlier said that your role a was not to figure out platoons what platoons or groups or battalions are…
Pros: She was referring to a specific number not whether she can distinct a group or a platoon.
Judge Doherty: I have a handwritten note, she cannot distinguish the numbers. But let’s wait for the transscript.
Def: I cannot find the reference.
Wit: I just want to say… He asked me whether superman’s bodyguards… Superman’s bodyguards themselves were part of a platoon or unit. But I do not know the platoon where these men belonged to. I told him that those who are responsible for that were other people. I do not know person 1 or person 2. It was not my job in the RUF. But I know the difference between a platoon or group.
Def: From Bobsinsisi evidence: He made a distinction between the Red Lion Battalion and the Red Lion Group. 50 of the group formed the Red Lion Battalion. You disagree?
Wit: yes
Def: the Red Lion Battalion was formed in Colonol Eddy Town and not in Koin as you suggest. 28 april 2008. page 8759 line 29 answer 8760:”I said that later and came the Red Lion Battalion. It was from amongst them that Gullit said that they should form the Red Lion Battalion. Gullit formed the Red Lion Battalion.” You’re saying it was Superman.
Wit: I disagree
Judge Doherty: We are up to lunchtime break. This is a appropriete time to adjourn. We are adjourning until Monday morning. I will remind you you are under oath and do not discuss you evidence with anybody else.