Lamin Jobarteh, Counsel for Omar Faal Keita and Demba Dem the seventh and eight accused persons, yesterday informed the court about his intention to withdraw from representing the accused persons in the trial.

However, counsel Jobarteh did not forward any reason for his decision.The presiding Judge, Justice Avril Annin Yeboah at that juncture called on the relatives of the accused persons to secure the services of another lawyer or still engage counsel Jobarteh to find out the cause of his withdrawal. And if possible they can make arrangement with him to maintain his legal representation.

Meanwhile, Lamin Camara defense counsel for Tamsir Jasseh, the fifth accused person had applied for voir dire to determine the voluntariness of the statements made by his client on the 25th March and 6th April 2006 respecrively.

According to him, the said statements were confessionary statements and are not vuluntarily made, as in accordance to the rules applied in taken down voluntary statements from the accused. He therefore objected to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) submission for the statements to be tender and mark as exhibits in court.

The DPP,Emannuel Fangbenle, rebutted the defense counsel‘s objection saying the statements were made in accordance to the rules and regulations of obtaining statements from the accused person.

Lamin Cham, police dectective at the Major Crime Unit, during cross-examination by the DPP said he obtained the statements from the 5th and 7th accused (Tamsir Jasseh and Omar Faal Keita) in the presence of an independent witness, Mr Babou Loum and that all parties had appended their signatures on them. .