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“I leave everything in the hands of God”
Friday, 28 May 2010 23:43
Lt. General Tamba tells court, as he ends testimonyThe former Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) Lieutenant General Lang Tombong Tamba, who is standing trial on three charges of treason, on Thursday ended his evidence in chief in his own defense, before Justice Emmanuel Amadi of the Banjul High Court.
In his four day defense testimony, Lt. General Tamba told the court that one Ebrima Marreh came to his Kololi residence with the intention to see him, but by then he was still at work and the soldiers on guard kept him outside until his wife closed from work and asked the soldiers to send him away. General Tamba posited that Ebrima went to his wife’s mini market and told the staff at the mini market that he was a nephew to him (Tamba) and that he was sent away by soldiers.
General Tamba said that within the period of Ebrima’s visit at the Mini Market he stole a cheque amounting to about D28, 000 and cashed it at Access Bank, along Kairaba Avenue. Tamba added that Ebrima also stole a pair of shoes and clothes from one of the staff at the mini market. He said Ebrima was later apprehended by his former driver, Corporal Beyai, at Kembujeh Village. He said Corporal Beyai brought Ebrima to his residence at Bijilo and was later taken to Fajara Barracks for interrogation by National Guards.
General Tamba pointed out to the court that the National Guard’s Chief told him (Tamba) that Ebrima had admitted stealing the cheque amounting to D28, 000 that belong to his wife from the mini market. Tamba noted he could however not remember how long Ebrima was detained at Fajara Barracks, where he was kept at the charge office. General Tamba said he did not set his eyes on Ebrima until the day he was arrested and taken to NIA when he was confronted with him.
Tamba added that Ebrima has never visited him at his Bijilo residence until when he was arrested by Corporal Beyai. He said when Ebrima first visited him at Kololi he did not enter the house, but only stayed outside. Tamba stated that Ebrima’s description of the houses at Bijilo and Kololi are all lies and total fabrications. He said he has never sent Ebrima to Senegal (Thies) and has never called him as he did not have his number. General Tamba said that he did make calls outside the Gambia to Guinea Bissau to one Mr. Jabbi who works at the Gambia High Commission in Bissau. He added that he did make phone calls to Bissau to his brother, Sambou Tamba, nephew Salimina Sanyang and his sister Olimatou Tamba Sanyang. He said that his calls to Jabbi was for him to update President Jammeh during the crisis in Bissau when their former CDS and President Nino Veira were killed.
General Tamba told the court that on 23rd November 2009, he was escorted to his house by members of the investigating team who conducted a search at his two premises in Bijilo and Kololi. He said the investigating team found at his Kololi residence “two pair of camouflage uniform, three inner shorts camouflages, one pair of captain ranks, one pair of major ranks, one pair of Lieutenant Colonel Rank and one packet of SB hunting cartridges”, all of which were parked in one of the rooms. He added that he could not remember all the items taken at his Kololi residence because there was no inventory of items taken. He noted that all those items were given to him when he was the Commander of State Guards as far back as 2004.
He stated that he has not been using those uniforms as President Jammeh approved a distinctive uniform designed for GAF and National Guards. He added that those uniforms were not being used by him as they were not part of the dress code of GAF, so he decided to pack them in a suitcase.
General Tamba told the court that the search team escorted him to his Bijilo residence and found a sealed carton (box). He said he told the investigating team that he did not know the content of the box, but that he was told by his former military assistant, Lieutenant Colonel Alagie Sanneh, that the carton contained items from his former office as CDS.
He stated that he told the team that Lt. Colonel Sanneh told him to go through the box and to take items that belonged to him and surrender those that did not belong to him. He added he told the investigation team that the carton was dropped at his house on the very day he was arrested and that he did not know the content of it. Tamba indicated that the investigation team found various military books and files in the box and took along with them the items that belong to GAF leaving behind his personal belongings at his house.
Tambedou asked: “Rui Jabbi Gassama said in court that you and Major Bo Badjie paid him 30,000 Euros and another extra 5000 Euros; what is your reaction to that?”
General Tamba said: “My lord, that is not true. I have never set my eyes on Rui Jabbi Gassama. The only time I saw Rui Jabbi was when I was confronted with him at NIA after my arrest on 20th November, 2009. All what Rui Jabbi said before this court is total fabrication. I have never called him on telephone. My telephone print outs are here.”
Tambedou asked: “Rui Jabbi said you told him that one of the motives of the coup was that the president brought foreigners to monitor Gambians. What do you say to that?”
General Tamba said: “I never knew of any foreigners that were brought by the president to monitor us.”
Tambedou said: “The article printed from all Gambia.com, allegedly posted by Kukoie indicating that Ousman Kujabi (Rui Jabbi) was your assistant. Is that correct?”
“That is not true.”
Lawyer Tambedou asked: “Apart from all what you said before this court, do you have anything to tell the court?”
General Tamba said, “On 10th February 2010, I and Modou Gaye were taken to the office of DPP and the DPP told me that he has evidence that I was involved in the alleged coup plot and that I have brought a container of arms from Guinea Bissau. The DPP gave me a blank NIA statement form and told me that if I accepted that I am part of the alleged coup in writing then I would be released immediately and taken straight to my home. I told the DPP that I have always been loyal to my commander in chief and the president and will never involve in any coup plot against him.”
Further, General Tamba stated that he told the DPP that Brigadier General Mbye, Lie Joof and Rambo were released by the president. He indicated that the DPP told him that he has advised the president through the Minister of Justice that there is a case that can be prosecuted. He added that the DPP told him that based on his advice to the president those people were arrested again.
General Tamba said: “the DPP told me that if I did not admit my involvement in the alleged coup plot, I will be prosecuted and taken before a firing squad.”
At this point, there was general murmuring in the court. The DPP could be seen giggling with smiles and looking back to the gallery.
General Tamba said: “I told the DPP that even if am involved I would have asked the panel to take me to the president to apologize to him. The DPP also told me that Lie Joof was the one given the role to clear the container of arms at the ports. I told him that I’d rather be left in my Mile 2 detention cell than to tell lies about things that I did not know about. I told DPP that I was CDS for three years, six months and have all opportunities to know all the “Sangas” rather than to send a criminal and liar like Ebrima Marreh to do that for me.”
He went on: “As CDS, I know the entire GAF, Navy, Army and the National Guards as all were under my command. I told him that if I wanted to make a coup, I would use the men and soldiers of the Army rather than to pay to train 300 mercenaries in a foreign land. As CDS at the time, I have all the armory of GAF under my command, so I would rather use the men and soldiers of the army than to go to a foreign country to buy arms for a coup plot.”
General Tamba pointed out that he has unflinching loyalty to President Jammeh with all his entire family. He added that he has worked with the first President of the Gambia as second in command at state guard. He stated that then little was known about him and now every body is talking about General Tamba, all because of President Jammeh.
He stated: “The allegation against me and seven others is mere fabrication and lies by those individuals who wanted to see me separated from the president, because of my loyalty to him which will never change until the day I will go into my grave. So, I leave every thing in the hands of God, who knows what is truth and lies and right and wrong.”
Cross examination continues on Monday 31st May.
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Comments
Remember if you stick your hands in mud, they will get dirty. Coup is dirty and dangerous. You go for it, you must accept the consequences. There should be no mercy. If you don't understand this creed, go to Nigeria for some lectures.
This guy most probably would have foiled any attempt by the armed forces to topple Jammeh as long as he kept his job and all the trappings of power including what someone called "playing football and having saturday lunch with his Lebanese friends"
Yes, your honor?
So ROLLING STONE CHANGE YOUR FOOLISH CHARACTER FOR GOOD.I am unstopable.
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