2ND ACCUSED NAMED APC JAGABAN AS MAJOR SPONSOR OF NOVEMBER 26TH FAILED COUP

By Morlai Sesay

Police Inspector Mohamed Kargbo has revealed that the accused told them that Mohamed Kamara, alias Jagaban of the All People’s Congress Party (APC), was the core sponsor of the November 26th failed coup data. He said Koita would have been the president if they had succeeded and later handed the power to Jagaban.

The Witness said these before Justice Komba Kamanda, presiding judge over the matter, and the 12-member jury while reading the additional statement of the second accused, Mohamed Jalloh, to police.

He said the accused also informed them that his boss, Koita, promised them better lives if they succeeded in overthrowing the government.

In his additional statement, the second accused said Koita told him that one captain, Senesie of five battalions on the run, and other senior military officers are part of the plan. He added that Koita gave him two million old Leones as a start.

He said Jalloh further told the investigators that he was chatting with senior military officers as their first plans to overthrow the government. He added that the first planning stage started between 5 to 7 November, 2023, but said President Bio was not in town so they set it again for the 17 to 23 but president Bio was not also in town.

Inspector Kargbo, in further evidence, said Jalloh, in his statement, told them that they planned that if they succeeded in overthrowing the government, Koita would have become the president for some time so that his name would be on the book of past president in the country and later hand it over to the Chief of Staff Lavahun, whiles they handover  President Bio to the ICC for investigation.

Jalloh further stated that after they handed President Bio to the ICC, they would conduct an election and hand over power to Mohamed Kamara alias Jagaban as president of the country.

He further told the police that Mohamed Kamara, alias Jagaban, was the core sponsor of the coup and that the number they were using belonged to Mohamed Pope Kamara, but they did not know anything about the coup.

He finally told the police that he was in Freetown when the operation occurred.

After reading the additional statement of the second accused, Mohamed Jalloh, Inspector Kargbo said on 1st  January 2024,  he obtained charge statements from the second accused, Mohamed Jalloh, and was charged with the offense of treason, murder, shooting with intent to murder and unauthorized wearing of military uniform.

The witness further that on the same day, he also charged the fourth accused, Ramatu Kamanda Conteh, with the offense of misprision of treason and charged the fifth accused, Alimatu Hassan Bangura, with the offense of misprision of treason and harboring.