[allAfrica.com]  [Africa_2005]


Special Court

Standard Times (Freetown)
NEWS
January 12, 2005
Posted to the web January 19, 2005

By Theophilus S. Gbenda

Issa Sesay challenges trial judges
The long anticipated drama unfolded yesterday at the Special Court for Sierra
Leone, when Issa Sesay of the defunct Revolutionary United Front (RUF) went
into an open confrontation with judges of the trial chamber, which consequently
led the former being forced out of the courtroom.
The drama started just when the president, judge Benjamin Itoe, was busy
addressing the prosecution and defence on the need to expedite the trial
process in line with the limited time frame the court has.
With RUF Augustine Gboa effectively boycotting the trial, Issa Sesay and Morris
Kallon who otherwise had been cooperating with the court raised their hands up
while the presiding judge was still addressing the parties, indicating that
they wanted to address the chamber.
Although it is not the policy of the chamber to allow indictees to address the
chamber in person, Issa sesay was however given about three minutes to make his
point.
In his address, Sesay raised a number of issues bordering on the snail pace of
the trial and the amnesty granted all former fighters as contained in article 9
of the Lome Peace Accord.
Sesay eventually exceeded the time given him and all efforts by the judges to
stop him yielded no dividend as he continued unabatedly.
This subsequently made the judges to loose patience and hence ordered the
security personnel to match him out of the courtroom.
As he was being matched out of the courtroom, his co-accused Morris Kallon who
has also expressed his desire to address the chamber followed suit, remarking
that they will never attend the proceedings again.
According to the judges, they will never succumb to the whims and caprices of
accused persons, and that no challenge to the jurisdiction of the court will be
tolerated.
In his own remarks, British born counsel, Wayne Jordash, representing Issa
Sesay, asked the chamber to give him some time so as to enable him consult with
his client and report back to the chamber.
He also implored the chamber not to treat his client's position as a challenge
but rather as a reflection of frustration especially so when he has been behind
bars for 22 months now.
No matter what it takes, the outburst of Issa Sesay is sure to dent the court
another serious blow.
It could be noted that all three CDF indictees are effectively boycotting the
court, and so now that the three RUF indictees have also followed suit, there
are all indications that "the court is gradually loosing its salt," remarked
one observer.
Meanwhile, the second trial chamber is due to commence sittings on the AFRC
trial by early next month, and it remains to be seen whether the indictees will
fully co-operate.

   

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