Trial of September 28 in Guinea: Moussa Dadis Camara responds to the lawyers of his co-defendants
Moussa Dadis Camara, leader of Guinea during the September 28, 2009 massacre in Conakry, speaks in court during the September 28 trial, December 12, 2022. © LAMARANA DJEBOU SOW / AFPTV
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
Moussa Dadis Camara's 10th appearance at the Conakry stadium massacre trial was notably marked on Monday, January 16 by the return of the long-awaited duel between the former head of the junta and the lawyers for his aide-de-camp, Toumba.
Advertising
Read more
Maître Paul Yomba Kourouma had requested more time to prepare for the interrogation of Moussa Dadis Camara.
His client and the former junta leader accuse each other of leading the crackdown that killed more than 150 people at an opposition rally on September 28, 2009. So the lawyer tried from his first words on Monday to put pressure on the defendant.
“
Mr. Moussa Dadis Camara, I would have liked to greet you, but I know that you would not answer,
he says to him by way of preamble.
I can try: hello.
»
Faced with the irony of the old lawyer, the ex-putschist manages to keep his calm, but responds with a spade.
“
If it is because I did not appoint you minister that you are surly against me... He spent all the time sabotaging me on the radio on the international level, Mr. President
”, complains Moussa Dadis Camara .
The hearing resumed on Monday morning with questions from Maître Salifou Béavogui, the lawyer for two gendarmes accused of having participated in the killings.
But the former head of the junta has never been put in difficulty.
On the contrary, the lawyer's questions were only intended to exculpate him in order, by extension, to allow his clients to be exonerated.
“
You are accused of having given instructions to subdue the demonstrators, is this true or false?
“asked Master Béavogui.
"
That's not true, master
," assured Dadis.
In his blue boubou, the former head of state was incredibly calm, responding in a soft voice.
“
You who took power without bloodshed and who were cheered by the whole people, could you accept or condone that pro-democracy demonstrators are killed in this way?
“, asked the lawyer again.
“
No
,” replied the defendant soberly.
The appearance of Moussa Dadis Camara should end this week.
After being called ten times to the bar, few new elements have emerged from the latest debates.
The ex-putschist is the accused who has remained in court the longest.
Two defendants still have to be questioned before giving way to victims and witnesses.
Newsletter
Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
Guinea
Moussa Dadis Camara