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Momodou
Denmark
11738 Posts |
 Posted - 10 Mar 2007 : 15:59:52
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AT THE COURT MARTIAL
CORPORAL SAMBA BAH TESTIFIES
By Annia Gaye and Fabakary B. Ceesay
Corporal Samba Bah, an officer of The Gambia Armed forces on Friday 2nd March 2007, told the court martial that he was arrested on the 22nd March 2006.
Corporal Bah indicated that he was told by his former RSM Ansumana Tamba at his guard post that he was wanted at the National Intelligence Agency (NIA). He said he followed RSM Tamba up to the gate of his guard post and there he met Lieutenant Musa Jammeh with other; that he was then asked to board the vehicle and that they headed for the NIA headquarters. He said he was taken straight to the panelists. He noted that he was not questioned on that day.Corporal Bah said that Lieutenant Musa Jammeh then told them to take him to Mile Two Prisons until further notice; that he was escorted to Mile Two Prison by Sergeant Sulayman Badgie, Lance Corporal Jallow and Private Lamin Sanneh. Bah told the court martial that he was kept in prison until on the 27th March 2006, when he was taken to the NIA to face the panel.
“At the panel I met Hydara, Lieutenant Musa Jammeh, WO2 Nfally Jabang, then a staff Sergeant, Demba Sowe, a police officer, one Mr. Bojang, a Lance Corporal, Foday Barry and Baba Saho, both NIA Officers, for the rest I don’t know their names,” Bah said. He explained that Hydara told him that his commander Sering Modou Njie has told them that he (Bah) was not part of the coup plotters. “Hydara told me that they are taking things easy with me but I must tell them what Pharing told me. I told him that what I had said is what had transpired between me and Pharing. He told me that Pharing had told them that he had spoken to me about the coup and had given me responsibilities to take,” said Bah. Corporal Bah said that he insisted being informed by Pharing and that he knew nothing about it. “Hydara then stood up and took off his jacket and attempted to slap me but he was halted by one Demba Sowe, a Police officer. Then he threatened me, “I give you the last chance, if you don’t talk I will deal with you.” “Had Pharing told me anything I will tell you, I have nothing to hide from you,” said Bah. He said that he asked Hydara to tell him even a single word that Pharing told him. Corporal Bah said that Hydara then told him that he must accept what he (Hydara) had to say and he (Bah) had to put that on paper. He explained that there was somebody whose name he did not know who was writing what Hydara was saying and when that person finished writing the statement, it was taken to another office. Bah said he was asked to go out of the hall where the panelists were sitting. Corporal Bah explained further that Hydara called Boto Keita and ordered him to go with him (Bah) to a small office where Boto Keita took a blank paper and copied the statement on it; that Boto Keita filled the form of the cautionary statement, his name, address and occupation and asked him to sign it; that he was in the room with Private Modou Lamin Sanneh and Boto Keita. He said that he had put his signature under the column of the accused and also the date. He noted that there was no independent witness then but ,as he said, it is now that he saw him (Babou Loum) in the witness box at the court claiming to have been the one at the time.
Going further, Corporal Bah told the court martial that his voluntary statement was filled by Boto Keita and that he signed it at the Mile Two Prisons, without any independent witness. “Before I signed the statement, I asked Boto Keita, why should I sign it when I am not the maker or recorder of the statement. He told me that, we all know that you did not do anything, but the only thing I can advise you is to sign it before they will get rid of you. He meant that if I don’t sign it I will be tortured. The moment he told me that, I decided to sign it, because I have seen people who were tortured, like Captain Bunja Darboe, Captain Yaya Darboe and 2nd Lieutenant Pharing Sanyang. I have seen wounds on the head of Pharing and he told me that he was being beaten,” Corporal Bah said.
Cross Examination by DPP
During cross examination by state counsel, Emmanuel Fagbenle, Corporal Bah said that he was in the unit with Lt Pharing Sanyang but he had no knowledge of a problem between Pharing and the state guard commander. When asked whether he did attend a party on the 21st March 2006. Bah said he was at his guard post. When asked when he resumed to the guard post on the 21st March 2006, Bah replied that he was on guard duties since from Friday 17th March 2006. Asked about the time he was ordered by the commander to go and sign for heavy guns on the 21st March 2006, and the reason for that. Bah said it was in the evening and that he was informed by the commander that there was a coup plot going on. On several occasions, the state counsel would tell the witness not to look in any direction but at the court. He would say, “don’t look at me, look at the court, am not the answer.” The defence counsel, Lamin K. Mboge intervened and asked the court to ask the prosecutor not to intimidate his client. Mboge said ”the prosecutor is not fair with my client, he is laying an ambush for my client. He is also intimidating my client by telling him not to look at this direction or that. My client has a right to look at any direction in this court,” said Mboge. Justice Agim ruled that the witness has a right to look at any where he wants. Corporal Bah concluded that he appeared before the panel in the afternoon but can’t remember the exact time. He said that at the NIA, there was Musa Bojang, Musa Jammeh and Nfally Jabang, adding “they all know me.”
Corporal Samba Bah is standing trial for his alleged concealment of treason, at general court martial.
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No 28/2007, 9th -11th March 2007
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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