2:30pm: Court resumed after lunch break and Defense Counsel Mr. Morris Anyah continued his cross-examination of Witness TF1-585 in open session. Continuing from where he left before the lunch break, defense counsel continued to elicit information from the witness regarding radio communications between NPFL officials in Liberia and Sam Bockarie in Sierra Leone.

Radio Communications

Defense counsel asked the witness whether he recalled telling the prosecution that Memunatu Deen transmitted messages to Sam Bockarie while in Kenema. The witness said she does not remember telling the prsecution so but she did say that Memunatu communicated with Bockarie while they were in Buedu. Defense counsel read a portion of the witness’s statement to the prosecution when she said Memunatu did send messages on behalf of Jungle while Sam Bockarie was in Kenema but the witness insisted that she only spoke of Buedu. Asked whether she ever saw Memunatu, the witness said that she did see Memunatu first at the Northern Jungle, then at Zogoda for the training program in radio operation, and that when Memunatu was in Monrovia, she used to visit them in Buedu. The witness agreed with defense counsel that she told prosecution that it was Memunatu who would transmit messages about Jungle’s movements. The witness said she could not tell who exactly Memunatu worked for as radio operator. She said that while she did not work for Yeaten, she did use Yeaten’s radio to communicate with Buedu.

Defense counsel asked the witness whether she would only know of messages when she read the lod book. The witness said that she did read messages in the log book but that even when she did not have access to the log book, other radio operators on duty would tell her what messages they had received or sent out. She said she only worked three days a week. The witness agreed with defense counsel that Bockarie treated female radio operators different from their male counterparts. Bockarie did not allow female radio operators to control communications when high level operations were taking place, the witness said. She also agreed with defense that when sam Bockarie wanted to discuss sensitive issues with Benjamin Yeaten on satelite phone, he will take extra precautions and move to an isolated area. The witness was in agreement with defense counsel that Bockarie operated three radios, namely, Mike November Five, Marvel and Planet One. The witness said that Marvel was Bockarie’s mobile radio but that they would sometimes use Planet One wherever Bockarie was. Defense counsel asked the witness whether he knew the names of other radio operators operating in different parts of Liberia. The witness said no. Defense counsel asked the witness why is it that she only knew those radio operators that worked with Yeaten. The witness explained that this was because those radio operators at Yeaten’s house were people she had lived with before. Defense counsel pointed out to the witness that after talking with the prosecution on several occassions, the witness only mentioned Base One as Yeaten’s radio during her last interview this month. Defense counsel pointed out that the same thing could be said of her mention of Planet One as Bockarie’s mobile station. Asked about when Bockarie got his satelite phone, the witness said that it was in early 1998. The witness was shown a photograph in which he identified Bockarie’s house. She also pointed out that Bockarie had a fax machine at his house. When asked about who Elevator was, the witness responded that he was Issa Sesay’s radio operator.

Court adjourned for the day.