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Sillaba jumped bail because of alleged threats from President Jammeh
Tuesday, 28 September 2010 03:11
Sillaba Samateh, principle prosecution witness in the trial
of ex- Gambian police chief, has blamed President Yahya for his decision to jump bail.Accused of involvement in drug dealing, Mr Samateh jumped bail and fled to Holland after he allegedly received information that President Jammeh was unhappy with his testimony against the former Inspector General of Police, Ensa Badjie.
Ex-IGP Badjie, alongside two other accused former senior security officers: Lt Colonel Mam Matarr Secka and Major Kuluteh Manneh, is on trial on various criminal charges including drug dealing. One of his alleged accomplices, Sillaba Samateh, was giving his evidence under cross - examination by the defense counsel representing the first and second accused when it emerged that he had jumped bail. As a result, his younger sister, Jankeh Samateh, who had served as surety, was detained by the NIA. She is blamed for the disappearances of her brother after she posted a bond of D200, 000 dalasi to facilitate the release of Mr. Samateh. Jankeh is presently in detention at the State Central prison.
And now, some three months after his disappearance, Sillaba Samateh has been talking to Jollof News in an exclusive interview with Yaya Dampha.
Samateh repeated denials of his involvement in drug dealing. He said the prosecution only wanted him to testify against the former police chief because they thought he had enough information to incriminate him. Although acknowledging having relationship with Badjie, Samate insisted they never had any drug related dealings. He said their relationship was based purely on friendship.
“Lots of things happened between me and Ensa Badjie but none has anything to do with drugs,” Samateh told Jollof News.
At the height of the trial of the three accused, there were lots of talks of drug related transactions among a web of accomplices, one of whom was President Yahya Jammeh. Ensa Badjie allegedly told the chief prosecution witness that he was dealing in the drugs on behalf of the Gambian leader. But Samateh described such reports as “fabricated stories.”
There were also allegations that he (Samateh) had given the president some money as payment of debt owed to the Gambian leader in relation to some drug transaction. Samateh denied ever being in contact with President Jammeh. He said he only got to see the president when he was passing by in convoy, like most other Gambians do, but that he had never even spoken to him.
On his escape from Gambia, Mr Samateh claimed to be in possession of evidence proving alleged NIA Intel, warning him of President Yahya Jammeh’s unhappiness about his testimony against the former police chief.
Having been on bail, Samateh said he received a call while at home requesting that he reported to the NIA. He said he enquired through some NIA contacts of his as to why he was been called when he was still on bail. He said some agents advised him against going to the NIA, warning him that President Yahya Jammeh was not happy with him, and that “‘if you come back the president will kill you.’”
Samateh argued he did what he did purely because he felt his life was in danger. He therefore challenged the detention of his sister as unlawful on this basis.
The fugitive prosecution witness also alleged he gave a lot of money to the NIA in return for his eventual freedom. Although he would not give any name of his accomplices at the agency, Samateh insisted that he was in possession of evidence proving this and many other things showing the “truth to the whole world.”
Sillaba Samateh also wondered why the Gambian government doesn’t seem willing to use information he had given to them on the whole matter. He accused the NIA of attempting to plant bogus evidence at his home to incriminate him, alleging that his private security guard positioned at his private compound fell victim of that and had to flee to neighboring Senegal where he is currently processed as a refugee.
Contrary to general belief that he fled to Holland immediately after fleeing Gambia, Samateh said he spent some two months in neighboring Senegal where he went through all formalities as a refugee. He said he took the liberty to let the world know everything about his case: the UN, the US embassy and the UNHCR.
“I have evidence to prove to the whole world the truth about my case, but I will wait for the right time,” he said, while denying that either his sister or the NIA were involved in his escape.
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Comments
Can you please convey to PA NDERRI OF FREEDOMNEWS P. that Samsudeen Sarr is not Gambian problem or the one who kills Gambians. He should instead make that
... Momodou K. Sonko, PhD Candidate in Information Technology (IT). Master’s in Business Administration (MBA).Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (BIT).....
to tell Gambians how come he joined a coup with his juniors and the abuses he did or knew during his tenure with Yaya jammeh. Liberia, this idiot is constantly bragging about is experiencing some democracy, while Gambia is the worst in our Sub religion. What is wrong with this Sonko and why your college PA NDERRI encouraging him in his opportunist path instead of letting him reveal all he did and know with Yahya Jammeh. I am glad that Jollofnews has not encouraged this "VERY EDUCATED SONKO?" TO USE HIS EDUCATION NOT ON SAMDUDEEN SARR INSTEAD, ON THE DICTATORIAL RULE OF YAHYA JAMMEH AND HIS ROLE IN IT.
Oh! Did I say shame? Well, he doesn’t seem to have any AT ALL in him! Nor sense of pride; this explains why he’s ALWAYS ready to go to ANY length/depth to get to his pathetic lunacies. Truth’s; human sufferings, treachery, lies & deceit, idolatry, fornication, cocaine peddling & consumption, killing.....; the list’s in-exhaustive; are ALL survival instincts & characteristics of yaya jammeh.
Comment
Not surprising at all. Sillahba only confirmed what some of us know all along about a blood-thirsty fluke-cum-president who pleasures in human sufferings. But God’s on the innocent masses’ side by continuous revelations putting the Kanilai-liar to shame; until his eventual demise.
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