By Emma Black

Two men accused of involvement in the failed coup attempt of November 2023 appeared before the Freetown Magistrate Court No. 1 on Monday, 2 June 2025, to face charges of treason and murder, Joseph Dumbuya, 50, and Ahmed Turay, 59, stood before Principal Magistrate Mustapha Braima Jah, charged with attempting to unlawfully overthrow the government of Sierra Leone.

The accused face two serious charges: treason, contrary to Section 3(1)(a) of the Treason and State Offenses Act of 1963 (as amended), and murder, contrary to Section 1 of the Offenses Against the Person Act of 1861, according to the prosecution, between 11th and 26th November 2023, Dumbuya and Turay allegedly conspired with unknown individuals to seize key military and state installations, including:

The 5th Battalion Wilberforce Barracks, the Joint force command headquarters at Cockeril, the 3rd Infantry Brigade at Murray Town, the Sierra Leone Correctional Center, and the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) at New England Ville.

On 26th November 2023, the suspects allegedly launched a coordinated assault on the correctional facilities, freed prisoners unlawfully, and fatally shot Correctional Officer Obi Isaac Johnson during the attack.

State Prosecutor Yusif Isaac Sesay called the third prosecution witness, Detective Police Officer Hassan Andrew Sialas Commies (Badge No. 1818), attached to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), to testify.

Commies told the court he recognized the second accused, Ahmed Turay, who was arrested and brought to CID Headquarters on 12th May 2025 for interrogation. He explained that the case was later assigned to him for investigation.

On 13th May 2025, Commies said he conducted a caution interview in Krio in the presence of detective police officer Thomas Max Lavalie (Badge No. 15951). The statement, translated and documented in English, was read back to the accused and confirmed with a right-hand thumbprint, the document was admitted into evidence as exhibit D1­-46.

Commies further stated that on the same day, alongside Sergeant Solomon Amadu (Badge No. 8914), the accused was formally charged with treason and murder, a second caution interview conducted by Sgt. Amadu also resulted in a written and signed charge statement, which was submitted to the court as Exhibit C1–2. Magistrate Jah adjourned the case to Wednesday, 5th June 2025, for continuation of the preliminary hearing.

Copy right –Printed in the Expo Times News on Wednesday, June 4TH, 2025 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)