ADVERTISEMENT
  • The Membership Club
  • #EndSARS Dashboard
  • PT Hausa
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
Sunday, May 29, 2022
Premium Times Nigeria
  • Home
  • Gender
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • COVID-19
    • News Reports
    • Special Reports and Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features and Interviews
    • Multimedia
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Special Reports/Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Features and Interviews
    • Multimedia
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • #EndSARS Dashboard
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
  • #PandoraPapers
  • AUN-PT Data Hub
  • Home
  • Gender
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • COVID-19
    • News Reports
    • Special Reports and Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features and Interviews
    • Multimedia
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Special Reports/Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Features and Interviews
    • Multimedia
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • #EndSARS Dashboard
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
  • #PandoraPapers
  • AUN-PT Data Hub
Premium Times Nigeria
BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad
ADVERTISEMENT
The witness’ seat facing directly at the four Finnish Judges who have moved to Liberia to hear the testimonies of over 45 witnesses in Liberia New Narratives/Lennart Dodoo

The witness’ seat facing directly at the four Finnish Judges who have moved to Liberia to hear the testimonies of over 45 witnesses in Liberia New Narratives/Lennart Dodoo

Defence focuses on witness inconsistencies in ‘Angel Gabriel’ war crimes trial

Mr Massaquoi, alias Angel Gabriel, 51, is on trial in Finland for committing murders of civilians and enemy fighters, rape and other war crimes and human rights violations during the second Liberian civil war.

byLennart Dodoo
March 10, 2021
4 min read

Over the past three weeks of hearings lawyers representing Gibril Massaquoi, alias Angel Gabriel, in his war crimes trial have focused heavily on inconsistencies in witnesses’ testimonies in an apparent effort to discredit the prosecution case.

On Tuesday, defence lawyer Kaarle Gunmerus played sections of a recording made during Finnish investigators’ interviews with a witness in 2020. Despite protests by the prosecutor, Mr Gunmerus convinced the presiding judge to play 30 second portions of the tape 13 times to make very clear the difference in the witness’s two testimonies.

The witness, code named Civilian 62 by the court to protect his identity, had told the investigators that he didn’t know the leader of the soldiers carrying out atrocities in Waterside during the period as Gibril Massaquoi, but rather as “Angel Gabriel”.

During cross-examination on Tuesday, Civilian 62 told the court that he heard the name Gabriel Massaquoi from the man who informed him that some Finnish people were in town and were interested in hearing his account of what occurred in Waterside.

“I told him I didn’t know that name but the name that was ringing in Waterside at the time was “Angel Gabriel” and he said it is the same person,” Civilian 62 said.

However, the witness had earlier told the court that it was a lady who was captured alongside him who told him Gibril Massaquoi was his real name while “Angel Gabriel” was a war name.

“I was asking ‘why are they calling him “Angel Gabriel” when he is not doing anything good?’ The woman next to me said, Gibril Massaquoi is his real name, “Angel Gabriel” is his war name”, Civilian 62 told the court.

Defense lawyer Kaarle Gunmerus Leslie Lumeh/New Narratives
Defense lawyer Kaarle Gunmerus Leslie Lumeh/New Narratives

In another inconsistency, the witness told the court Tuesday that he was 14 years old in 2001 when he was held captive by the soldiers in Waterside, where he and his older brother had gone to look for rice to buy to sell. But he had informed the Finnish investigators that he was between the ages of 15 to 16 at the time of the incident.

When pressed by defence lawyer Mr Gunmerus on why he gave the investigators a different age, the witness said he may have been confused at the time.

In order to secure a guilty conviction, prosecutors must convince the four-judge panel that Mr Massaquoi is guilty “beyond a reasonable doubt”. By highlighting these inconsistencies, Mr Massaquoi’s defence is hoping to sow doubt in the judges’ minds.

A view of the courtroom where witnesses’ testimonies are being heard by the Finnish Court that has moved to Liberia to hear witnesses’ testimonies/New Narratives/Lennart Dodoo
A view of the courtroom where witnesses’ testimonies are being heard by the Finnish Court that has moved to Liberia to hear witnesses’ testimonies/New Narratives/Lennart Dodoo

Mr Massaquoi, 51, is currently on trial in Finland for committing and inciting the murders of civilians and enemy fighters, rape and other war crimes and human rights violations during the second Liberian civil war.

He denies all the allegations, saying he was not in Liberia at the time the events occurred.

Mr Massaquoi, a Sierra Leonean national, has lived in Finland since 2008 where he was relocated in exchange for devastating testimony that he gave to the Special Court for Sierra Leone.

Experts say Mr Massaquoi’s testimony was instrumental in the conviction of former Liberian President Charles Taylor and other leaders of the Sierra Leone civil war.

Mr Massaquoi was arrested in Finland in March last year after Swiss advocates, Civitas Maxima, working with Global Justice Research Project, alerted prosecutors to Mr Massaquoi’s alleged crimes in Liberia.

The Finnish Court moved to Liberia to hear the testimonies of witnesses – more than 45 for Liberia. The court will also hear testimonies in Sierra Leone.

Civilian 62 said he and his older brother had gone in search of rice to sell. His brother gave him the money and sent him to wait at their usual spot in the Waterside area where they often bought rice.

The witness said he saw a group of men bursting a store to loot. He went there and also grabbed a bag of rice. On his way out of the shop, he heard a heavy sound and people began to shout, “’Angel Gabriel’ men coming again ooh”. He then saw a pickup truck full of soldiers who began shooting into the store.

“When these guys came, ‘Angel Gabriel’ and his guys jumped out of the pickup. He said, ‘kill anyone you see coming out with rice’. They were shooting for about one minute, 30 seconds. Some people died. Some people hid themselves. He gave the order that they should search the store to see who was alive and pretending to be dead,” he said.

His brother was among those who were shot and killed at the store.

“Unfortunately, my brother that I left behind. I saw them bringing him outside,” he said.

Civilian 62 said there were women with babies on their backs in the store. They were all thrown in the back of the pickup truck and taken to an unfinished building on the Waterside bridge.

“When we got there, ‘Angel Gabriel’ took a girl by the hand and said, ‘I’m carrying her, she’ll be my wife. He said, y’all take the other girls and enjoy yourselves’,” the witness said.

He said a girl who had resisted following one of the soldiers was shot by Angel Gabriel. “She fell on my lap and he walked close to me and bent down. He asked me ‘Do you want to see God?’ I shook my head because I was afraid.”

READ ALSO: Liberia War Crimes: Inconsistent testimonies plague Massaquoi trial

While they were being tortured at the bridge, a soldier came in a pickup truck and began to ask the soldiers why they were holding civilians captive and torturing them according to the witness. “He said, ‘This is not the reason I brought you here. I brought you here to help me, not to kill innocent people.’”

The witness said this Liberian soldier seemed to be higher in rank and was being referred to as “Chief 50” or “General 50”.

Benjamin Yeaten, who served as the Armed Forces of Liberia’s deputy commander and director of the Special Security Service during the presidency of Charles Taylor, was widely known by his own radio call sign “50”. He was a Liberian militia leader and mercenary. His whereabouts remain unknown.

Mr Yeaten was mentioned in testimony last week. A previous witness told the court that the Liberian soldiers who came in a pickup truck to the Waterside checkpoint to their rescue informed “Angel Gabriel” and his men that they were sent by Benjamin Yeaten.

The trial continues on Wednesday (today).

This story was a collaboration with New Narratives as part of the West Africa Justice Reporting Project.

  • WhatsApp
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print
  • Telegram
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Pocket

WATCH: Governor Yahaya Bello's Roadmap to Hope 2023

CITIZEN-FM AD


Support PREMIUM TIMES' journalism of integrity and credibility

Good journalism costs a lot of money. Yet only good journalism can ensure the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy, and a transparent government.

For continued free access to the best investigative journalism in the country we ask you to consider making a modest support to this noble endeavour.

By contributing to PREMIUM TIMES, you are helping to sustain a journalism of relevance and ensuring it remains free and available to all.

Donate


TEXT AD: Why women cheat: what every Nigerian man should know







PT Mag Campaign AD

Previous Post

PDP elects new South-south national vice chairman

Next Post

FEPSAN signs another agreement with OCP Morocco for agronomic assistance, enhanced yield

Lennart Dodoo

Lennart Dodoo

More News

Gold mining sites in south-eastern Senegal

Going for gold leaves Senegal’s artisanal mining communities poorer

February 23, 2022
France Troops

France, allies to pull troops out of Mali

February 17, 2022
President Muhammadu Buhari

Buhari condemns coup attempt in Guinea-Bissau

February 2, 2022
Tension in Guinea-Bissau as sacked PM refuses to leave office

Guinea-Bissau: President Embaló speaks, says coup failed, perpetrators arrested

February 2, 2022
Burkina Faso on map used to illustrate the story.

Burkina Faso: Military names coup leader as president

February 1, 2022
Armed men attack Ghana radio, Ada FM, over coverage of mining deal

Armed men attack Ghana radio, Ada FM, over coverage of mining deal

January 31, 2022
Next Post
FPESAN-PRESIDENT-THOMAS-ETUH

FEPSAN signs another agreement with OCP Morocco for agronomic assistance, enhanced yield

Covid isolation centre, Akwa Ibom. [PHOTO CREDIT: Official Twitter account of the Akwa Ibom state government]

Nigeria records 346 new cases of COVID-19, six more deaths

Leave Comment

Search

AUN-PT Ad





Transport-Technology


Stanbic Ad


Access Bank Ad





Glo Ad


Subscribe to News via Email

Enter your email address and receive notifications of news by email.

Join 1,852,011 other subscribers.

Advertisement






netherland biz school Advert



Zenith Advert

ADVERTISEMENT

Our Digital Network

  • PT Hausa
  • Election Centre
  • Human Trafficking Investigation
  • Centre for Investigative Journalism
  • National Conference
  • Press Attack Tracker
  • PT Academy
  • Dubawa
  • LeaksNG
  • Campus Reporter

Resources

  • Oil & Gas Facts
  • List of Universities in Nigeria
  • LIST: Federal Unity Colleges in Nigeria
  • NYSC Orientation Camps in Nigeria
  • Nigeria’s Federal/States’ Budgets since 2005
  • Malabu Scandal Thread
  • World Cup 2018
  • Panama Papers Game
  • Our Digital Network
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Projects
  • Data & Infographics
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

No Result
View All Result
  • #PandoraPapers
  • Gender
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Health
    • COVID-19
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Investigations
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Multimedia
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • #EndSARS Dashboard
  • Projects
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • Parliament Watch
    • AGAHRIN
  • AUN-PT Data Hub
  • Opinion
  • The Membership Club
  • Dubawa
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

Our website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.