Africa-Press – Liberia. A witness testifying before a Finnish court in Monrovia has said that Gibril Massaquoi, a former commander of Sierra Leone’s Revolutionary United Front (RUF) was embroiled in a heated verbal standoff with Joseph “Zizar Marzah”, a key fighter of Charles Taylor over Massaquoi’s alleged killings of those he called innocent Liberians at Waterside.
The witness, called by the prosecution told the Turku Appeal Court Marzah had gone to stop Massaquoi over the issue in a house near a bridge, with the two men pointing guns at each other.
The witness told the proceedings Massaquoi had indiscriminately shot and killed many civilians who had gone to purchase food items and other goods.
He said Sam Bockarie, alias General Mosquito, another former RUF commander was also on the scene, but watched the alleged scenes in silence. The witness claimed it was Benjamin Yaten, Director the Special Security Service, now Executive Protection Agency who arrived to end the quarrel.
The witness said he had gone to purchase rice down Waterside when soldiers broke into one of the stores and began to loot goods and other materials.
The said he along with many civilians also joined the soldiers. But it was not long when Massaquoi and his men arrived with a fleet of cars and began shooting indiscriminately at them.
Many people, including his elder brother died as the result of bullet wounds, he said, while the survivors, including wounded victims were taken to a bridge down Waterside.
Under the bridge, the witness said Bockarie shot and killed a girl who confronted him, and then introduced himself as Angel Gabriel.
Shortly, he said the captives were relocated to a nearby house that was also hosting Zizar Marzah and the late General Bockarie. And one of the captives, after recognizing Marzah questioned him, saying: “Zizar Marzah, I know you are a Liberian. You will be here and allow strangers kill your people?”
The witness said Massaquoi became furious and reached for his pistol to shoot the girl, but Marzah drew his gun, and pointing at Massaquoi and told him to stop.
The standoff continues until Benjamin Yaten, alias “Chief 50” arrived and told both men to stop the tussle and freed the captives, the witness said.
“A guy came with a convoy and told Angel Gabriel that killing innocent people and raping women and girls was not the purpose of their mission. He told us all to get out and go. People were calling him Chief 50. That’s how we were set free.”
The witness’ revelation of the four men, accused of aiding Taylor stunned the court.
Marzah was a star witness for the prosecution team during Taylor’s landmark trial at then Special Court for Sierra Leone. In his testimony, Marzah claimed Taylor and his men, including Maza himself practice cannibalism during Taylor’s “reign of terror.”
Bockarie was accused of supporting Taylor during the Liberian civil war. A witness told the Finnish District Court in 2021 that Bockarie was killed by Taylor’s loyalists in 2003 to stop him from testifying against Taylor at the UN Special Court for Sierra Leone.
Finnish prosecutors in the ongoing appeal hearings of Gibril Massaquoi, a former commander of Sierra Leone’s Revolutionary United Front have expressed confidence in witnesses testifying on their behalf, despite concerns about inconsistencies in the testimonies of the witnesses.
Asked by Chief Defense Counsel Gummerus how did he know that Massaquoi, Maza, Bockarie and Yaten were together in one place, the witness said while in captivity, he was sitting by a girl identified as Jackie who knew them so well and showed them to him.
When further questioned whether there was a war fighting in Monrovia at that time, the witness said there were skirmishes on the outskirt of Monrovia in Duala and Brewerville.
Another witness testified that mercy, her sister, was shot dead by Massaquoi’s men in Waterside. Sharing her ordeal, the witness said she and her sister and other friends left their Paynesville residence to get goods when Massaquoi ordered his men to open fire indiscriminately at them.
“They were firing at us and my sister got hit with the bullet. I tried to pick her up but she was already dead,” said the witness, choking with tears.
She said the survivors were rounded up, bundled in a vehicle and also taken to the Waterside Bridge. There, she said the captives were tortured and beaten, while some women and girls were raped. She told the court that she was among those sent to be executed by Massaquoi, but she was saved by an old friend who was one of the executioners.
Earlier, the first witness said she sustained severe wound from one of Massaquoi’s boys, identified as Small Soldier who attempted snatching away her waist bag containing her business money she had carried to purchase goods in Waterside.
The hearings resume on Friday with three witnesses expected to appear.
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