Gambiaj.com – (CONAKRY, Guinea) – A Guinean court on Monday opened the long-delayed trial of Fodé Moussa Mara, known by the pse udonym El-Sissi, a militant of the former ruling party, the RPG Arc-en-ciel, in proceedings that have drawn renewed attention to former president Alpha Condé.
The case was called before the Kaloum Correctional Court after several adjournments. El-Sissi, who has been in custody since November 2023, is being prosecuted on allegations of treason and complicity in the possession of weapons and ammunition. At the opening of the hearing, he categorically denied all charges.
Testifying before the court, the defendant challenged the authenticity of messages cited by the prosecution, insisting he was not their author. He claimed the writings were produced by an individual identified as Ballakala Kaba and subsequently transmitted to former president Alpha Condé.
In submissions to the court, the public prosecutor, represented by deputy prosecutor Biwon Millimono, argued that the clarification of the case required the appearance of several individuals.
The prosecution formally requested the summons of former president Alpha Condé—currently residing in Turkey—as well as blogger Matou Traoré, who lives in the United States, and Ballakala Kaba, based in Conakry. The prosecutor noted that the law grants the prosecution a three-month window to secure such appearances.
The defense strongly opposed the request. Counsel for El-Sissi, Me Mory Doumbouya, described the prosecution’s move as a delaying tactic, arguing that there were no practical means to ensure the appearance of the named individuals.
He further emphasized that Professor Alpha Condé has never been committed for trial in connection with the case and that Ballakala Kaba has already been convicted for similar offenses.
Following these arguments, the defense asked the court to dismiss the prosecution’s requisitions and sought provisional release for El-Sissi.
Presiding judge Mamadou Saliou Diallo rejected the request for provisional release. The court adjourned the matter to 13 April 2026, when it expects the appearance of the cited individuals before proceeding to hear the prosecution’s submissions and the defense’s pleadings.
The developments place former president Alpha Condé at the center of renewed judicial scrutiny, even as his formal legal status in the case remains contested by the defense.
