Special Court for Sierra Leone, CDF Trial, Update 16

CDF Trial

Special Court for Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone

English

After five full weeks of a trial session that the Presiding Judge described in his closing remarks as both “gruesome and smooth”, the CDF trial ended with a short two-day week ahead of the court’s Christmas sojourn (during which the Chamber rests) beginning on 17 December 2004. After the continued cross-examination in closed session of Witness TF2-067 on Monday morning, the Prosecution called Witness TF2-056, the thirty-eighth and final witness in the CDF trial for 2004, who testified to events that had allegedly occurred in early 1998 in the Bo District. The week ended on Tuesday with a visit from the President of Germany, Horst Kohler, bringing a flurry of German and Sierra Leonean press to the public gallery as well as the esteemed European leader. Several motions were also heard and oral rulings given during the two-day period, Judge Itoe insisting that all parties “must pay for their sins” and wrap-up as many outstanding matters this session as possible, so as to ensure expediency and efficiency in the session to come.