CCTV Footage Revealed in Trial Over Failed Coup Attempt in Sierra Leone

November 20, 2024

The court-martial investigating the failed coup attempt of November 26, 2023, involving military and police personnel, took a significant turn on November 19, 2024. Detective Inspector Mohamed Jusu, a system and data analyst with the Criminal Investigations Department, presented CCTV footage from Pademba Road Prison as evidence against the accused individuals.

The footage showed Corporal Alpha Wurie Conteh and Corporal Ibrahim Kuyateh firing a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) at the prison gate. These recordings, labeled Exhibit X, were provided by the Sierra Leone Correctional Center and identified the accused individuals engaging in combat operations.

Inspector Jusu also detailed the clothing and equipment of the accused, with Kuyateh wearing military trousers and Conteh dressed in a full uniform with a helmet, armed with RPGs. He explained the secure methods used to preserve and analyze the footage, which was backed by other digital evidence, including WhatsApp communications between key conspirators.

However, the defense raised concerns about inconsistencies between the evidence submitted and what was displayed in court, resulting in an adjournment. The trial, presided over by Judge Advocate Mark Ngegba, will continue on November 21, 2024.

The accused face multiple charges, including mutiny and actions prejudicial to military discipline, as the court works to uncover the full details of the attempted coup.