ADVERTISEMENT
  • The Membership Club
  • PT Hausa
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
Sunday, April 18, 2021
Premium Times Nigeria
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • 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
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • 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
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
Premium Times Nigeria
BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad
ADVERTISEMENT
A police car is seen parked before the Swiss Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona, Switzerland, the venue of the Alieu Kosiah trial. New Narratives/James Harding Giahyue

A police car is seen parked before the Swiss Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona, Switzerland, the venue of the Alieu Kosiah trial. New Narratives/James Harding Giahyue

Alleged War Crimes: Another Kosiah defence witness testifies against him

Alieu Kosiah is the first Liberian to be prosecuted for war crimes in connection to Liberia’s 14-year war, which killed an estimated 250,000 people and displaced a million others.

byJames Harding Giahyue
February 28, 2021
4 min read

There were more extraordinary scenes in the trial of Alieu Kosiah for war crimes in Switzerland on Thursday when the second of Mr Kosiah’s own witnesses, there supposedly to back his claims of innocence, told the court that Mr Kosiah committed the war crime of recruiting a child soldier.

The witness, a former ULIMO combatant whose identity is being concealed by the order of the court, testified that Mr Kosiah recruited children, including the first defence witness, who appeared the previous day, as combatants.

“I know that Kosiah had RTOs as bodyguards,” said the man, who testified before the court in Bellinzona from an undisclosed location via videoconference. “I knew one of them.” “RTO” was what ULIMO called child-soldiers.

In a surprising testimony on Wednesday, the first defence witness testified that Mr Kosiah had recruited him to be a combatant at age 12. The witness, who had arrived from Liberia the day before, then told the court that Switzerland needed to grant him asylum to protect him from retaliation, although he did not say from whom.

Both men, under the questioning of defence lawyer Dimitri Gianoli, told stories of Mr Kosiah’s kindness to them and insisted they did not see him commit any war crimes. Under cross-examination by lawyers for the seven victims who brought the case, known as plaintiffs, the two men’s testimonies then corroborated the charge of recruitment of a child soldier.

The defence’s decision to put these two witnesses on the stand has baffled observers in this case. In short interviews outside the trial, Mr Gianoli said Mr Kosiah has been heavily involved in the choosing of his two defence witnesses. The court may well conclude Mr Kosiah’s decision to use these two witnesses shows that he still does not understand that the recruitment of child soldiers is a war crime.

‘I think Kosiah was confused’

Mr Kosiah’s main defence in this trial is that he was not in Lofa County, where the acts were allegedly committed in the 1990s. Both defence witnesses also contradicted that claim telling the court Mr Kosiah was in Lofa between 1993 and 1994.

The three-judge panel hearing Alieu Kosiah case and the court’s clerk. New Narratives/Leslie Lumeh
The three-judge panel hearing Alieu Kosiah case and the court’s clerk. New Narratives/Leslie Lumeh

ULIMO was formed in May 1991 in Sierra Leone by Mandingo refugees and runaway soldiers of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL). Four months later, the group attacked NPFL from Lofa, which it made its foothold. It marched on to the western part of the country, ravaging towns and villages. The group committed a fifth of all the human rights violations the Truth and Reconciliation Commission recorded in its 2009 report.

The second defence witness told the three-judge panel Mr Kosiah fought in ULIMO’s capture of Voinjama and Foya. Mr Kosiah told the court in December last year and again on Monday that he did not fight in those areas.

RelatedNews

In Lagos, traffic robbers run amok in broad daylight

INVESTIGATIONS: Inside the deadly herders-farmers crises in Ogun, worsened by ‘compromised’ soldiers

Groups identify Nigeria’s major impediment to meeting family planning targets

Lekki Tollgate Shooting: At least 10 people killed – Witness

“After we took over Zorzor, Kosiah…joined us and we all went and captured Voinjama and Foya,” said the man who told the court he was a frontline fighter.

After Mr Kosiah’s lawyer Dmitri Gianoli informed the man that his client had said he did not capture Lofa, he said, “I think Kosiah was confused.” The man added that “Pepper and Salt,” another ULIMO commander, had ordered the Foya conquest to prevent further attacks from rebels of the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) and the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) in the area.

He said he and Mr Kosiah also fought the NPFL in Belefana and Gbarnga in Bong County, and after the war, he met him in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Dangote adbanner 728x90_2 (1)

There were two other admissions in the man’s four-hour testimony. He corroborated the testimony of one of the plaintiffs that Mr Kosiah wore a military uniform, unlike many ULIMO fighters. He also said that the war crimes suspect drove a Toyota Land Cruiser during his time in Lofa.

ALSO READ: Kosiah defence witness refuses to leave Switzerland, says his life in danger

The lawyer of four of the plaintiffs Alain Werner, appeared pleased by the man’s assertions, quizzing him on routes the Mandingo-dominated faction travelled to make a case to the court he was telling the truth.

Mr Gianoli, who is on his first war crimes trial, appeared to see the damage the men’s testimonies had caused. In one instance, Mr Gianoli told the man that another former fighter had told the court on Wednesday Mr Kosiah did not fight in Foya. The man hit back and said that the witness handled ULIMO’s civilian affairs and was not aware of what took place on the frontline.

Mr Gianoli’s main strategy appeared to be to point out inconsistencies in the plaintiff’s testimony. The plaintiffs must prove guilt “beyond a reasonable doubt” for Mr Kosiah to be convicted.

Seeing that he was not successful with his main strategy, Mr Gianoli appeared tried to use the man to contradict other witnesses. He asked the witness about the ferry and canoes two plaintiffs talked about last week. The man affirmed that. He further asked him whether people crossed cars on the ferry at the Guinea border via Sorlumba as the plaintiffs had said.

“I cannot tell you more,” the man replied. “I was based on the frontline.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Asked on the term “Dingo,” which Mr Kosiah told the court was a derogative way of referring to Mandingos, the man said it was not an insult. “That is just the short way they call us,” he told the court. And Mr Gianoli asked the man whether it was true that a well was at Foya market, hoping he contradict another of the plaintiffs who said he saw seven people killed and their bodies dumped in the borehole. But the man again said he did not know.

After that, Mr Gianoli attempted to discredit the witness’s knowledge of ULIMO, its command and structure. The witness responded by telling the court the meaning of CO was commanding officer and names of rebels the court had not heard.

Mr Kosiah, wearing an army green jacket and a white shirt, was quiet throughout the man’s testimony, in and out of Mr Gianoli ears, writing and slipping papers to his lawyer.

“[Today’s] witness did not help our defence,” Mr Gianoli said after outside of the court. “Yesterday’s witness (the former child-soldier) technically made our case.”

Mr Kosiah is the first Liberian to be prosecuted for war crimes in connection to Liberia’s 14-year war, which killed an estimated 250,000 and displaced a million.

He had moved to Switzerland in 1997 and became a permanent resident a year later. He was arrested in the Swiss capital of Bern in November 2014 suspected of war crimes. His case is the first in a Swiss civilian court.

There were two more defence witnesses on Thursday after the man’s testimony. There were one more defence and two prosecution witnesses on Friday. The trial ends on March 5.

This report was produced in collaboration with New Narratives as part of the West Africa Justice Reporting Project.

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

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: To advertise here . Call Willie +2347088095401...


JOIN THE CONVERSATION

  • Disqus (0)
premiumtimes



PT Mag Campaign AD

Previous Post

Major health stories published last week

Next Post

UNILORIN appoints first professor of Mass Communication

James Harding Giahyue

James Harding Giahyue

More News

Somalian soldiers

Somali government troops battle forces loyal to sacked police boss

April 17, 2021
Prince Philip’s funeral processionals [PHOTO CREDIT: @enews]

Prince Philip interred in royal vault of St George’s Chapel

April 17, 2021
Photo of American Police used to illustrate the story

8 killed in mass shooting at Indianapolis FedEx facility

April 16, 2021
Prince Philip [Photo Credit: Daily Express]

British PM, opposition leader pay tribute to Prince Philip

April 12, 2021
Prince Philip [Photo Credit: BBC]

Prince Philip’s funeral to be held on April 17 – Buckingham Palace

April 11, 2021
Gun salutes to mark death of Prince Philip

Gun salutes to mark death of Prince Philip

April 10, 2021
Next Post
UNILORIN gate used to illustrate the story.

UNILORIN appoints first professor of Mass Communication

Kosiah’s trial at the Swiss Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona, Switzerland, the venue of the Alieu Kosiah trial. New Narratives/Leslie Lumeh

War Crimes: Final witness backs plaintiffs’ allegations Kosiah murdered civilians

Discussion about this post

Search

#EndSARS: Latest Updates




Polaris Bank


JAIZ Ad


Explore Akwa Ibom Ad


Explore Akwa Ibom Ad


Access Bank Ad


NITDA Ad





Glo Ad

Subscribe to News via Email

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

Join 1,653,672 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
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • 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
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • Parliament Watch
    • AGAHRIN
  • Opinion
  • PT Hausa
  • The Membership Club
  • Dubawa
    • Dubawa NG
  • About Us
    • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Digital Store
  • 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.