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The Court Martial proceedings against the first batch of 27 military personnel involved in the November 26, 2023 coup will conclude today, August 20, 2024.
Following the closing submissions on August 8, the trial of the 18th accused, Lance Corporal Abu Bakarr Koroma alias Opanday, was adjourned due to a medical emergency. He has since recovered and will face trial today
The current Court Martial board will dissolve immediately after the conclusion of Koroma’s trial. The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that a new board will be constituted next month to try a second batch of 15 accused military personnel, including five fugitives recently extradited from Guinea.
These fugitives, all commissioned officers, were initially arrested for subversion in July 2023 but escaped custody and joined the coup plotters. They were apprehended in Guinea in June 2024.
The November 26 coup resulted in the deaths of 18 security personnel and two civilians. The assailants also released over 2,200 inmates from the country’s two main prisons.
The security personnel who lost their lives in the attack are:
Colonel Wilfred Sao Samai (posthumously promoted)
Lieutenant Colonel John Robert Mboma (posthumously promoted)
Warrant Officer Class 2 Kelifa Kelly Marrah (posthumously promoted)
Warrant Officer Class 2 Nabieu Marrah (posthumously promoted)
Staff Sergeant Thomas Rogers (posthumously promoted)
Staff Sergeant Abdul Conteh (posthumously promoted)
Staff Sergeant James Gbessay Mbayo (posthumously promoted)
Sergeant Steven Sannoh (posthumously promoted)
Sergeant Sam Kabba (posthumously promoted)
Sergeant Edmond Conteh (posthumously promoted)
Sergeant Kai Mondeh (posthumously promoted)
Sergeant Alimamy Alfred Kamara (posthumously promoted)
Corporal Nabieu Bangura (posthumously promoted)
Corporal Abu Bakarr Koroma (posthumously promoted)
Lance Corporal Chernor Sulaiman Bah (posthumously promoted)
Additionally, Police Corporal Claude Roberts and Police Constable Sheik-Man Kamara, as well as Corrections Service officer Third Class Obi Isaac Johnson, were killed. Two civilians, Micheal Fayiah Kpudeh and Kema Foday Kai, also lost their lives in the violence.
