By Lansana Fofana
FREETOWN, Jul 24 1998 (IPS)

The Sierra Leone government began the first spate of court martial proceedings in the capital of Freetown this week, with 38 officers of the now defunct national army standing trial for plotting the May 1997 coup which ousted the civilian government.

The most prominent among the first batch of accused officers is Corporal Tamba Gborie, the man who first announced the overthrow of President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah. Others include Brigadier Samuel Koroma, who was the military junta’s Chief of Defence Staff, Colonel Abdul Sesay, the regime’s Secretary General and squadron leader, and Victor King, who is reported to have flown a helicopter gunship on bombing campaigns targetted at civilians.

Attorney General Solomon Berewa is leading the six-man prosecution panel which includes a Nigerian officer with the West African Peacekeeping Force (ECOMOG), who is acting as judge advocate. The President of the Court Martial Tribunal is Colonel Tom Carew of Sierra Leone. Observers from the United Nations and British Law Society are also attending the trial which began Thursday.

“We will ensure that the trials are free and fair and also as speedy as possible, so as to put behind us this sad chapter in our history,” Berewa told IPS.

Presidential spokesman Septimus Kaikai said that about 70 ex- officers of the Sierra Leone army will face court martial for either taking part in the coup, or for actively collaborating with the military Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC).

The AFRC, led by Major Johnny Paul Koroma, ruled for nine months before being toppled by the Nigerian-led ECOMOG intervention force.

Although Kaikai had indicated earlier in the week that the court martial proceedings would be open to members of the public, the court was held under tight security.

According to a local newspaper, ‘Concord Times’, a total of 130 ECOMOG and special security paramilitary were on guard. The entire City Hall venue was cordoned off and an ECOMOG battle tank was on hand to provide extra security.

Only journalists and witnesses for the prosecution were allowed in the municipality’s small library room, which was converted into a military tribunal.

Hundreds of ordinary people who went to witness the proceedings or get a glimpse of the officers on trial did so from a distance.

“I m happy after all that the court martial has commenced,” said Sorie Lahai, a businessman in the capital whose home was burnt by junta troops. They also killed four members of his family. “The chickens have finally come home to roost as I know justice will now take its course.”

“These murderers facing court martial should be left at the hands of the public for mob justice. We want to lynch them,” an angry Freetown resident screamed as the accused were driven back to the capital’s Maximum Security prison.

However, Koroma and remnant soldiers of the AFRC are still on the run and they continue to carry out atrocities against civilians in several parts of the country.

“I think if the officers now facing court martial are tried quickly and killed, their few supporters now hold up in the bush will give up the fight,” said military analyst Jonathan Sama.

Besides the junta officers, more than 60 civilians face treason charges in the law courts for allegedly propping up the illegal regime. Among these are former President Joseph Momoh and the former secretary to President Kabbah, Sheku Bayoh.

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