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The first convict, Amadou Koita Makalo, was sentenced to 162 years in prison. According to Judge Komba Kamanda, the convict will serve 52 years each for the first and second counts, and 70 years each for the third, fourth, fifth and sixth counts, to be served concurrently. All other convicts will also serve their sentences concurrently.
Judge Kamanda said the verdict would serve as a deterrent to any coup plotters and that the first convict was sentenced because he had never shown any remorse throughout the trial.
Yesterday, jury members found Amadou Koita Makaro and ten others guilty of treason for launching a coup in Freetown on November 26, 2023. They were convicted after the twelve jurors, led by jury president Richard Bendu, returned a unanimous guilty verdict.
In their commutation requests, the fourth inmate Ramatu Kamanda Conteh, the sixth inmate Hassan Leigh, the ninth inmate Ibrahim Mansaray and the eleventh inmate Kabba Kamara requested mercy.
While other prisoners including the first prisoner Amadu Koita Makalo said they had nothing to say.
The first convict, Amadou Koita Makalo, was found guilty of two counts of treason, six counts of murder and one count of wilful shooting.
The defence lawyer pleaded with trial judge Komba Kamanda to show leniency in the case and expressed his gratitude to the prosecution and jury members for their dedication during the trial.
Chief prosecutor Ahmed Joseph Maxwell Bockarie asked the judge to reject the breadwinner cry raised by some of the convicts. He also asked for consecutive sentences, rather than concurrent ones.
The State Counsel requested a sentence of 90 years’ imprisonment for counts 1 and 2, 70 years’ imprisonment for count 3 and 45 years’ imprisonment for count 4 for the first convict, Amadu Koita Makalo.
The minimum sentence for harbouring is five years, and the minimum sentence for treason is fifty years.
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