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Special Court: RUF Indictees Boycot Trials

Standard Times (Freetown)
NEWS
January 13, 2005
Posted to the web January 13, 2005

By Theophilus S. Gbenda

With no end in sight, the much talked about Special Court for Sierra Leone
(SCSL) continues to face more and more challenges, with the surprised boycott
of the trial proceedings by all three RUF Indictees, being the latest.
This latest action of the RUF indictees comes on the heel of an earlier boycott
by all three CDF indictees.
But such boycotts have not stopped the court from proceeding with the trials.
By provision, the court can go on with or without the presence of the accused
persons, as long as counsels legally or otherwise represent the accused
persons.
This is supposed to be the third phase of the RUF trial and with the exception
of Augustine Gboa who had long waved his right of appearance both Issa Sesay
and Moris Kallon have been very cooperative until now when they are beginning
to change their minds.
It all started when Issa Sesay challenged the court, leaving the trial judges
with no alternative but to order the security on guard to march him out of the
courtroom.
Counsel representing Issa Sesay Wayne Jordash, told the chamber that his client
has indicated his desire not to attend the proceedings henceforth, although
they as a team wish to continue representing him.
According to Melron Nicol-Wilson, representing Morris Kallon, his client's
position is similar to that of Issa Sesay, saying his client's position is
authenticated by a correspondence addressed to the chamber.
As for Augustine Gboa, his counsels reported to the court that his position
remains unchanged and that he does not wish to be visited by them (the court
appointed counsels) any further.
The non-appearance of the RUF indictees was also attested to by the Chief of
Detention, Barry Wallace, who maintained that the indictees in question are in
good health and that they had earlier indicated their positions not to attend
the proceedings.
Despite their non appearance, however, the chamber in a no-nonsense mode, ruled
that the proceedings move on, with the prosecution calling its 19th witness
TF2-304, who claimed that he saw scores of human skulls and skeletons, piled up
in a pit and others scattered in every corner of a house at Tombodu in the Kono
district.
The atrocities, the witness claimed, were reportedly carried out by one Captain
Savage and a staff simply known as Alhaji who he earlier said saved his life as
he was about to be killed by junta forces.

   

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