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Alimatu Hassan Bangura, a former Sergeant with the Sierra Leone Police, vehemently denied accusations that she harbored fugitive Koita in her apartment until his arrest.
Testifying in court, Alimatu clarified that she did not know of Koita’s involvement in treason-related activities, asserting that she only knew him casually since 2019 when he was in police custody.
During her testimony, Alimatu detailed a series of events leading to her arrest, stating that on December 4, 2023, she was at home with her two young children when an unknown person entered her apartment during a blackout. She recounted hearing her children scream as the intruder briefly held her son, warning her not to raise an alarm. Moments later, law enforcement officers arrived, identifying themselves as soldiers and police, and subsequently arrested Koita, who was allegedly hiding in her kitchen.
Alimatu described a chaotic scene where she was manhandled and insulted by officers, alleging that even the Inspector General of Police, Faya Sellu, physically assaulted her, causing her to bleed. She further claimed that her phone had been hacked prior to the incident, complicating communication records presented during the investigation.
Under cross-examination, Alimatu maintained that she did not harbor Koita and denied communicating with him via the phone number authorities confronted her with. She emphasized that her interactions with Koita had ceased in 2021 and that any messages allegedly exchanged during the period in question were due to her phone being compromised.
Regarding Marion from England, who allegedly contacted her about Koita’s whereabouts, Alimatu clarified that Marion was not physically present in her apartment but rather communicated remotely. She affirmed that Marion was unaware of Koita’s presence and had no monetary or property dealings with her.
