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Treason trial…

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Prosecution not compelled to tender State House CCTV Footage

-Judge rules

June 2, 2020

By Ibrahim Kabba Turay

Justice Alhaji Momoh Jah Stevens has ruled in the ongoing treason trail of Retired Major Alfred Palo Conteh and two others that the prosecution is not compelled to tender as evidence the footage of Close Circuit Television (CCTV) at State House.

The judge said if the Office of the Presidency wants to present the footage it is fine, but he cannot coerced them to do so, citing Section 48 (4) of the 1991 Constitution which notes among others that one cannot bring an action against the Office of the President.

The said Section reads thus: “(4) While any person holds or performs the functions of the office of President, no civil or criminal proceedings shall be instituted or continued against him in respect of anything done or omitted to be done by him either in his official or private capacity.”

It follows after the defense counsel representing Palo Conteh, Joseph F. Kamara applied for the court to proceed behind closed doors to view the CCTV footage of his client’s visit to State House.

His application was objected to by the prosecuting counsel, Adrian Fisher, on the grounds that such issues attract national security interest and that the security around the presidency shouldn’t be discussed in either public or private.

The defense counsel argued that if the prosecution could not provide the footage to the defense, then he doesn’t think if there is any treason charge against his client.

Lawyer Joseph .F Kamara submitted that the defense team was only interested in the time the first accused entered State House and nothing else.

“We don’t want to know who visit State House, our concern is when the first accused entered State House,” he submitted, adding that the prosecution wanted to have a field day under the guise of national security.

Prior to that, the seventh prosecution witness, Lieutenant Colonel Mohamed Mori

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