Direct and Cross-Examination of Prosecution Witness TF1-087, James Kpumgbu

On Monday morning, Prosecutor Mohamed Bangura called witness TF1-087, James Kpumgbu, who testified in Krio.   James Kpumgbu indicated that he lived in Kissi Town when the rebels entered in January 1999.   He testified that his neighbor saw the rebels burn his house, and that when he went to go find his parents, rebels chopped off his right hand with an axe. The rebel then attempted to chop off his left hand, but it was not severed entirely. The rebels then told the witness to go to Tejan Kabbah and tell him that they were fighting for power.

During Cross-examination, Defense Counsel Courtenay established that at the time of his amputations, he had never heard of the RUF, the names Foday Sankoh, Sam Bockarie, Mosquito, Issa Sesay, Morris Kallon or Charles Taylor. Griffiths also established that until the amputation the war had not affected or changed his life much.   During questioning regarding payments from the prosecution, Griffiths indicated that the Office of The Prosecutor (OTP) had given payments to the Kpumgbu for lost wages, even though Kpumgbu was not working at the time and has not been able to work since the amputations. The witness maintained that he was only provided money for petty items.

Direct and Cross-Examination of Prosecution Witness TF1-072, Samuel Komba

Prosecution witness TF1-072, Samuel Komba, testified previously before the Special Court in the AFRC trial on July 1, 2005.   Parts of the transcript of his prior testimony was entered as his testimony for the Taylor trial.   During cross-examination, Defense Counsel Courtenay Griffiths established that Komba was living in Tombudu, Kono District where, until 1998, mining was done by companies and individuals. Griffiths established that Komba was never aware of ECOMOG soldiers mining in Tombudu, nor has he seen or heard RUF soldiers ever mining in Tombudu.   Komba testified that he was captured by rebels in 1998, after which his hand was amputated, he was hit in his face and lost some of his sight, and his legs were injured.   These injuries were allegedly inflicted by a man named Savage, who the witness testified was some sort of a commander, though he did not know his real name. As a result of his injuries the witness has not been able to work since 1998. Griffiths showed the witness a statement by the prosecution about payments of the OTP including lost wages. The witness maintained they were payments for transportation and other things.

Cross-Examination of Prosecution Witness TF1-074, Sorie Kondeh

Prosecution Counsel Alain Werner called the next witness, Sorie Kondeh, who testified in Krio and is from the Mandingo tribe.   Kondeh testified previously in the AFRC trial on July 5, 2004 and in the RUF trial on July 12, 2004.    Transcripts of his testimony were entered as evidence in the Taylor Trial.   During cross-examination, Defense Counsel Courtenay Griffiths first established that Kondeh had started mining at age 13, and was 20 years old in 1998. In May 1998 Kondeh was captured by rebels. Between 1992 and 1998 companies and individual civilians carried out mining in the area where the witness lived, but in 1998 mining was done by the rebels. Kondeh admitted that he was familiar with the ECOMOG force, but that he had never seen ECOMOG soldiers mining in his area.

In February 1998 three vehicles came to Yumandu with soldiers in full combat. In one vehicle was someone dressed like a woman, whom Kondeh later heard identified as Johnny Paul Koroma. These rebels were retreating to Kailahun, the witness heard. Later the witness was captured by AFRC and RUF rebels in the bush while he was on his way to Guinea to flee from the war. The one in charge of capturing him was Francis Bangali aka “Kill a man, no blood”. Bangali used blades to mark Kondeh and others, after which he was used by the rebels for domestic chores.

Cross-Examination of Protected Prosecution Witness TF1-076, Yei Sundu Maculey

Prosecutor Kathryn Howarth next called witness TF1-076, a rape victim, whose prior transcripts of testimony given during the AFRC trial on June 27, 2005 where accepted as her given testimony in the Taylor trial.   This witness is Yei Sundu Maculey, born in 1982 in Tombudu, Kamara Chiefdom, from the Kono tribe.   During cross-examination, Defense Counsel Griffiths began establishing that the witness lived most of her life in Tombudu, where she had never seen any soldiers or rebel. She was living in Fendor when she was met with three rebels, two with a gun and one with a machete, both who spoke with Liberian accents.   The witness indicated that she had never heard of ULIMO, nor STF, and that the rebels did not identify themselves as such; they did indicate that they were soldiers, and discussed ‘no living thing.’  

Cross-Examination of Prosecution Witness TF1-077, Tamba Womba Ngekia

Prosecutor Alain Werner called the 57th Prosecution witness TF1-077, Tamba Womba Ngekia, who testified in the RUF trial on July 20 and 21, 2004.   Transcripts of this prior testimony were accepted as given testimony for the Taylor trial. During cross-examination, Defense Counsel Courtenay Griffiths established that the witness was 50 years old, and living in Tombudu under the control of ECOMOG, when he was captured in December 1999 by rebels who identified themselves as RUF. The witness testified that the rebels burnt his house and killed three of his children. He was then forced to mine for the rebels, but during the six months the witness was forced to mine he did not see any Lebanese diamond merchants. He has heard the name of Savage, but never saw him. Officer Med was his mining commander who would take the diamonds directly to Issa Sesay, though only once did he witnesses Sesay receiving a diamond.  

Direct and Cross-Examination of Prosecution Witness TF1-215, Sieh Mansary

Prosecutor Nicholas Koumjian called the next witness TF1-215, Sieh Mansaray, who moved to Kondembaia village, Diang Chiefdom, Koinadugu District in 1976. He is married and has eight children. In February 1998, when Johnny Paul Koroma left Freetown, Mansary testified that many people, called ‘People’s Army’ came from Freetown to the villages up country, some of whom used his house as a checkpoint. The People’s Army remained in his village from February to the end of March 1998.

Mansaray testified about hearing of numerous villages attacked, houses burned, and amputations.   At the end of April 1998, the witness and his family decided to leave Kondembaia, and fled into the bush. At a later point, he met with rebels, who identified themselves as Foday Sankoh’s rebels, and they accused the witness of conniving with ECOMOG and forced him to carry loads. Two ECOMOG soldiers were killed as well as several civilians.   Mansaray subsequently described the amputations of the hands and arms of several civilians, including his own.   During cross-examination Mansaray indicated that he has been speaking to investigators of the OTP since March 2003.   He also testified that after the AFRC coup and before the ECOMOG intervention there were no problems with the rebels in the area in which he was living.

Cross-Examination of Wtiness TF1-218, Ruko Turay

Prosecutor Alain Werner next called its 60^th witness, TF1-218, Ruko Turay, a rape victim who testified openly in Limba. She had previously testified in the RUF trial on February 1, 2005, the transcript for which is given as her testimony in the Taylor trial.   During cross-examination, Defense Counsel Terry Munyard established that the witness was living in Bumpe bush in February 1998, when she was captured by rebels, though she didn’t know from which group. After they raped her, she fled into the bush and managed to get away safe.

Cross-Examination of Witness TF1-304, Sahr Charles

Prosecution called the next witness TF1-304, Sahr Charles, who testified openly in Kono.   He testified previously in the RUF trial in January 2005, and these prior transcripts are given as his testimony in the Taylor trial.   During cross-examination, defense counsel Terry Munyard established that the witness has given statements to the OTP since 2002.   He indicated that in 1999, he was mining near Tombudu; that the rebels had a disciplinary system; that before the rebels came, there was a two pile system – one pile for the owner of the land and one pile for the worker – though not after the arrival of the rebels.   Charles testified to having seen Issa Sesay come to his mining area about 20 times during 2000. Five of these twenty times Sesay was given diamonds in full view of the witness.

Cross-Examination of Prosecution Witness TF1-195 Sia Kamara

Prosecutor Christopher Santora called the 61^st Prosecution witness TF1-195, a crime-based witness named Sia Kamara, who will testify openly in Kono.   A transcript of the witness’s testimony in the RUF trial on February 1, 2005 was introduced as her testimony for the Taylor trial.   During cross-examination, Defense Counsel Courtenay Griffiths established that Sia Kamara had been living in Tongo Fields for 15 years before the ECOMOG intervention.   When ECOMOG chased the junta out of Freetown and the rebels moved to Kono, their attitude changed noticeably.   She was then captured by the rebels, and was amputated because her husband was accused of being a Kamajor, and she was accused of being a Kamajor sympathizer. She could only identify the rebels as speaking Krio, Mende and Liberian English.

Cross-examination of Prosecution Witness TF1-206, Alhaji Tejancole

The prosecution called its next witness TF1-206, Alhaji Tejancole, who testified in Krio in open Court.   He testified in the AFRC trial on 28-29 June 2005, and the transcript of his testimony was given as his testimony during the Taylor trial. Defense Counsel Terry Munyard established that the witness was living in Kono in 1992, was unaware that President Valentine Strasser called for Liberian soldiers to form the STF in 1993, but was aware of Liberian mercenaries fighting in Sierra Leone during the mid 1990’s.

Direct and Cross-Examination of Prosecution Witness TF1-197, Sahr Bindi

The Prosecution called its 63^rd witness TF1-197, Sahr Binda, who testified openly in Kono.    Bindi testified to living in Koidu in 1998, when soldiers who identified themselves as AFRC and RUF rebels entered Koidu and informed them that Johnny Paul Koroma was now in charge.   Then one day the rebels entered Koidu and the witness heard shooting so fled into the bush. He witnessed men being shot, civilian corpses on the ground and ransacked houses.   He was held hostage at his house, and the rebels demanded money, diamonds, palm oil and rice. He was blindfolded, beaten, threatened, had guns put between his legs, and was stabbed with a knife on the side of his head. He then left for Guinea, where he stayed for about a month, after which he returned to a village called Baiama, Kamara Chiefdom, Kono District.   He testified to then being captured, along with his younger brother Safia, by AFRC/RUF soldiers.   They were tied to a mango and repeatedly beaten.   They were then taken to Tombudu, but escaped to the bush and went back to Baiama where their family was. After numerous attacks, the witness and his family went to Kokuima, because they heard that ECOMOG was there, and that ECOMOG did not treat civilians as badly as the AFRC/RUF did. On the way, he was captured by AFRC/RUF soldiers, and his hand was amputated.

During cross-examination, Defense Counsel Griffiths established that Bindi was a trader in the Kono area, and that prior to the arrival of the rebels, there were few problems in Kono. Until April 1998 many Marakas and Lebanese were involved in diamond trading.  Since April 1998 Binda has not been able to work for a salary. In January 2005 Binda was paid by the OTP (Office of the Prosecutor) money for lost wages, though Binda said that this was only for transportation and meals.

Direct and Cross-Examination of Prosecution Witness TF1-097, Ibrahim Wai

Prosecutor Mohamed Bangura called the 64^th Prosecution witness TF1-097, Ibrahim Wai, who testified in Krio. Wai testified that in December 1998 he was working as a fisherman in Tombo when AFRC/RUF rebels entered Tombo and burned a number of houses and killed a number of civilians.   Wai then left for Kissy.   In January 1999, rebels entered his house, one of whom was the same Mohamed who had robbed him in Tombu in December 1998. Mohamed, a.k.a. Captain Blood, amputated his hand with a machete then told him to go to President Kabbah and ask for another hand.  

During cross-examination Defense Counsel Terry Munyard took the witness through his statement to investigator Corinne Dufka from the OTP (Office of The Prosecutor) dated March 5, 2003 and a review of this statement dated October 21 and 26, 2005. Munyard established a number of inconsistencies in Wai’s statements, including the fact that he had never previously mentioned the RUF, the fact that the rebel was named Mohamed or that he was likely from Burkina Faso.   Munyard suggested that his memory had become less rather than more reliable over time.  He also asked the witness if anyone recently suggested to him to mention the RUF in Court, to which Wai replied that Corrine Dufka had told him to relate all the things that had happened and maintained that he did mention the RUF to Dufka on both occasions.