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MONROVIA, Liberia –Following Monday’s mix-up, through which a person impersonated as a witness earlier than the Finnish Appeals Court docket listening to acquittal proceedings for Gibril Massaquoi, the Sierra Leonean man accused of significant human rights violations in Liberia, a fixer that helped Finnish police collect proof and discover potential witnesses right here, has taken the stand as a witness.
Code named “Worker 1” by the Court docket to guard him from reprisal, the witness, referred to as by the prosecution, was grilled by each prosecution and defence attorneys for almost eight hours over his credibility and strategies of discovering potential witnesses he advisable to Finnish police for questioning over Mr Massaquoi’s alleged atrocities in Liberia’s second civil battle.
Against the law and human rights violation investigator, Worker 1 stated in 2019, he was contacted by police from the Finnish Bureau of Investigation, via Liberian human rights group, the World Justice and Analysis Venture to seek out victims and ex-fighters who have been in sure areas in Monrovia and Lofa County.
GJRP and Civitas Maxima collectively complained of Massaquoi, a former Revolutionary United Entrance, (RUF) commander to Finnish prosecutors. The person stated Finnish law enforcement officials gave him particular duties.
“My first task, they (police) gave me a map,” stated Worker 1 on cross examination. “They stated simply ask if any homes acquired burned right here, if RUF fighters have been right here – these sorts of questions,” he stated.
Worker 1 denied being a part of the End Police investigation of the witnesses.
“My job was simply to find the witnesses and get their contacts and switch them over to the FBI [Finnish Bureau of Investigation]. A few of these witnesses, I by no means met them in individual. The FBI referred to as them immediately.”
His look was important to proving the validity of witnesses, and to clear doubts of witness tampering and false testimonies, which dogged the trial within the District Court docket and have been key within the Court docket’s acquittal of Massaquoi in April 2022.
These considerations have been recent on the minds of events to the case, in addition to Judges of the Appeals Court docket, when the testimony of a person, claiming to be the prosecution witness, who testified to the District Court docket, backfired.
Whereas acquitting Mr Massaquoi, the District Court docket dominated that prosecutors didn’t show his prices “past an inexpensive doubt.”
The speculation of the Defence’s argument is that Mr Massaquoi couldn’t have been in Liberia through the occasions of his alleged crimes (July-August 2002-0203), as a result of he was offering testimony to the UN-backed Particular Court docket for Sierra Leone.
The prosecution is interesting the decision to the Turku Appeals Court docket, arguing that the District Court docket erred by its resolution.
As they did to different witnesses, defence attorneys have been eager to know from Worker 1 how the witnesses have been contacted, and the place they first heard Mr Massaquoi’s identify. He stated he was unaware as a result of at no time did he ever point out Mr Massaquoi’s identify to any of the potential witnesses. He stated the Finnish police by no means additionally instructed him that they have been investigating Mr Massaquoi.
“As a educated investigator, I imagine in transparency,” stated Worker 1. “We have now one thing referred to as information guidelines. You don’t alter your notes. You don’t name names, and also you don’t present pictures. I observe these guidelines,” he stated.
However he instructed prosecutors that he later acquired to know the identify of the person on the coronary heart of the investigations.
“I acquired to know that they have been investigating Massaquoi throughout their [Finnish police] second go to right here after we went to Kamatahun (in Lofa),” stated Worker 1. “They have been investigating, and we have been sitting within the palava hut. The Finnish police solely instructed me they have been investigating the RUF. It was from the folks they talked to that I acquired to know they have been investigating Massaquoi.”
When dropped at his consideration by the Defence attorneys that some witnesses had instructed the District Court docket that they first heard Mr Massaquoi’s identify from him, he was dismissive.
READ ALSO: Massaquoi: Two extra witnesses crown week of harrowing testimonies of alleged rapes, murders
“That’s not true. Perhaps, they heard it from different witnesses as a result of typically witnesses are collectively and speak,” he stated. The witness stated he was “beneath oath to not point out names.”
Worker 1 was once more requested by defence attorneys whether or not the witnesses had lied to the court docket, he responded, that he was undecided.
“I can’t decide them, he stated. “I can’t say they’re deliberately mendacity or they’re simply making a mistake.”
Defence attorneys additionally grew to become suspicious of his notepad, containing notes, names, and contacts of witnesses that he had advisable to the police to testify within the trial.
The attorneys imagine these particulars counsel the witnesses might have been coached, in order that they misled the court docket, however Worker 1 insisted that the main points have been recorded for his private use. He stated he stored them after his job with Finnish police was achieved.
“These are my private notes,” he stated. “These notes and names you see right here can’t be a part of the investigation. Subsequently, you can’t use it.”
The hearings proceed on Thursday.
The protection of the enchantment of Massaquoi’s acquittal is a collaboration with New Narratives as a part of the West Africa Justice Reporting Venture.
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