[allAfrica.com] [BBC_News_in_French] Criminals to Prosecute Hinga Norman Standard Times (Freetown) NEWS July 9, 2003 Posted to the web July 13, 2003 By Amadi Abadi Freetown As the identities of some of the proposed prosecution witnesses at the Special Court slowly become public knowledge, some of them have been described as war criminals themselves, judging from their activities during the just concluded rebel war. Prominent among these witnesses, according to Standard Times sources at the Special Court, are Eddie Massally and Albert Jusu Nallo, who are supposed to testify against Chief Hinga Norman. Other names mentioned but which are yet to be confirmed by this press include Alhaji Daramy Rogers and Mr. Barba Kamara. All of those mentioned were fighters and administrators of the Kamajor movement. The witnesses are supposed to give evidence to prove that the charges preferred against the former Kamajor leader are true. Having been under the administration of Chief Norman during the war, they have been found to be the most appropriate people to confirm that Chief Norman in fact bears the greatest responsibilities for atrocities carried out during the war. Messers Massally and Nallo have been in hiding since they were recruited to testify against Chief Norman, and have consistently avoided the press, frequently changing addresses in Freetown. "If Eddie Massally is a prosecution witness for the Special court against chief Norman it may be because he has tried and failed to oust Chief Norman as co- ordinator of the CDF", said a former CDF informant. According to the informant, Eddie Massally was ordered to Bo waterside after the overthrow of the AFRC rebel/junta rule to command a Kamajor force called 'Special Forces' composed mainly of Liberian rebels. "These Special Forces carried out extra judicial killings, and were responsible for the massacre of and looting of civilians crossing the border to Liberia, calling them collaborators", said the informant. He revealed that Eddie Massally usually ordered the killings of people with valuables, recalling especially one occasion when the driver of a former SSD fighter Yate Yate was almost killed by the Special Forces on the instructions of Eddie Massally. "Massally had eyed some goods that Mohamed, the driver had, so he made false charges against him so that he could be killed and his property confiscated", the CDF informant disclosed. He mentioned that were it not for Yate Yate's timely intervention, Mohamed would have lost his life. Another incident recalled by the CDF informant was how school children who Massally accused of being collaborators were ordered killed by his 'Special Forces' and all their possessions confiscated. "That happened right in front of Mr. Tejan Sankoh, now a Member of Parliament for Moyamba district", he said. According to the informant, that incident embarrassed Mr. Tejan Sankoh because he knew some of the children from Moyamba, and even though he interceded on their behalf, Massally ordered their killings. Massally, according to another CDF informant, led and administered the stones of F.T. Saad in Kenema. "Property worth billions of leones including vehicles were all looted by his 'Special Forces' under the command of Eddie Massally," he disclosed. The informant referred Standard Times reporter to a place called 'Road side' in Bo Waterside, where he said there are mass graves of victims of 'Special Forces' extra-judicial killings. "Mr. Massally," he said, "fell out with Chief Norman because of those atrocities," in addition to reports that he sold rice meant for the CDF in Pujehun and converted CDF funds to his own use. He was almost lynched when he last attempted to challenge Chief Norman for the Co-ordinatorship of the CDF, but for the fatherly intervention of Hon RES Lagawo.   ===============================================================================  Copyright © 2003 Standard Times. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). ===============================================================================