Defence refutes prosecution witnesses’ evidence

The defence counsels for the appellants of the Special Court in their submission have refuted certain evidence adduced by prosecution witnesses against the three Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) accused persons.
In his submission on behalf of the first appellant Alex Tamba Brima, the lead counsel Kojo Graham said in certain crime base areas like Karina and Bonoya the witnesses failed to give evidence on these attacks.
The defence counsel maintained that like ordering the attack on Karina, the appellant was in Kailahun when Karina was attacked as this was rebutted by a prosecution witness TF1-334.
Another witness TF1-184, the lawyer told the court, was offered money and other essential favours “which influenced him to give evidence against my client.”
Mr Graham further told the Chamber about incentives received by some potential prosecution witnesses like financial allowances and promised relocation outside Sierra Leone.
Submitting on the number of jail term for his client, the counsel said “50 years was excessively harsh for the first appellant and was not in consonance with the sentencing practice in International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia (ICTY) and International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) respectively.”
Lawyer Andrew Daniels on behalf of the second appellant Ibrahim Bazzy Kamara submitted that on the allegation of the killing of five girls in Karina in the Bombali District, the evidence was made with inconsistencies.
Mr Daniels submitting on the credibility of the witnesses said some of the witnesses only testified “to incriminate my client.”
The counsel rebutted crimes of enslavement in the findings of the Trial Chamber that Ibrahim Bazzy Kamara was part of the planning process of the attacks, aiding and abetting of crimes in Bombali and Freetown the evidence adduced by witnesses TF1- 134 and TF1-184 were made with inconsistencies “while the former narrated the presence of Kamara during the invasion of the four areas, the latter exonerated him as absent and these were insiders with military background.”