Sections
DONATE
SUPPORT WWW.JOLLOFNEWS.COM
Account Login
Treason trial of General Tamba & co continues
Thursday, 27 May 2010 01:41
The first accused person, among the eight men that are standing trial for three treasonable offences before the Banjul
High Court, Lieutenant General Lang Tombong Tamba, the former Chief Defense Staff (CDS), last Monday 24th May, continued his defense. General Tamba and others were asked by the court to open their defense after the failure of their “no case to answer” submission filed by their counsels.
General Tamba in his marathon defense, told justice Amadi that between January 2009 to September 2009, he did received telephone calls from the second accused, Brigadier General Omar Bun Mbye, third accused, Major Lamin Bo Badjie, fifth accused, former deputy police chief Modou Gaye, seventh accused, Businessman Abdoulie Joof alias Lie Joof and eight accused Yousef Ezziden, a Lebanese-Gambian Businessman. He testified that all these people called to sympathize with him on the death of his brother in law, his daughter, his mother in law and father.
He said that during the same period all these people called and congratulated him on his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant General. He said the said people also called to congratulate him as vice president of Gambia Football Association (GFA) on the performance of the under 17 National Team Championship in Africa and also in the great performance of the senior team. He added that the same people also called and congratulated him on his election as President of Gambian National Olympic Committee (GNOC) and on the achievement of Gambia Armed Forces (GAF) Football team as Gambia Football Association (GFA) division one champions.
General Tamba told the court that he returned from Denmark on 8th October 2009, from attending International Olympic Committee (IOC) congress and on the 9th October, he received a letter, signed by the Secretary General, Office of the President, indicating his removal as CDS and his dismissal from Gambia Armed Forces (GAF). He added that the said letter also directed him to hand over to then deputy CDS Brigadier General Yankuba Drammeh in the absence of CDS who was on overseas course. He said reading the letter; he was led to his house from State House by the Former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ensa Badjie, Present Director General of NIA Numo Kujabi and Permanent Secretary Ministry of Defence, Mr. Harry Sambou.
General Tamba posited that after his dismissal, he received a telephone call from the Secretary General, Office of the President, informing him that President Jammeh has appointed him as Gambia’s ambassador to the People’s Republic of China on Taiwan. He said that he was told that he would be duly informed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which was done.
Lawyer Tambedou asked, “After you were relieved as CDS, did you have any cause to interact with the president?” Tamba said he was invited by State House Chief Protocol, Alagie Ceesay, to attend medal decoration ceremony by the Lottery Club International held at the Cabinet Room of State House. He added that he was among some personalities who were decorated by President Jammeh, with whom he shook hands and took pictures. He noted that he was also among other personalities gathered at the airport to see President Jammeh off during one of his trips to Qatar.
Tambedou asked, “Can you tell what happens when an officer is from services?”
General Tamba said the most senior person (officer) in charge directs that the relieved officer be dekited immediately.
Tambedou asked him whether he was dekited immediately after his removal as CDS, General Tamba answered in the negative. He noted that after his dismissal and the failure of the dekiting team to dekit him, he was still in possession of arms and ammunition issued to him while in active service. He indicated that he made several phone calls to then deputy CDS Yankuba Drammeh, but could not get him. He said he called his former assistant Lieutenant Colonel Alagie Sanneh for him to pass the message to the then deputy CDS Drammeh to send a team to dekit him.
He said that it was not until on the 3rd November 2009 that the dekiting team visited him at his residence at Kololi and dekited him. He said he recognized the dekiting report and said all the contents in there are correct. He indicated that when the dekiting team wanted to take his ceremonial uniform he told the team that as former CDS and supervisor officer, he should retain his ceremonial uniform. He said the dekiting team leader stepped out of the compound and made telephone calls and upon returning he was given the clearance to retain his ceremonial uniform.
General Tamba said when the dekiting team asked for his military identity card and diplomatic passport, he told them that the military card was misplaced, but that he would use the diplomatic passport as he had been appointed ambassador to Taiwan. He added that he told him that he would bring the military card whenever it was found. He added that the team left without the military ID and diplomatic passport.
General Tamba pointed out to the court that on 20th November 2009, when on his way to watch “Nawettan” football at Serekunda East Mini Stadium, he got a call from his former assistant Lt. Colonel Alagie Sanneh who informed him that they had parked all the items in his former office as CDS and that they were going to drop them at his house for him to check and remove his personal belongings and return those not his.
Lawyer Tambedou asked, “Can you tell the court how you were arrested?
“General Tamba said while watching the Nawettan final, he got two phone calls from his two wives and both told him that armed soldiers and plain clothes personnel were at his two residences at Bijilo and Kololi and were told that they were sent by Former IGP Ensa Badjie to arrest him. He added that he was told by his wives that the armed soldiers came in two pickup trucks at each of his residences. He said both his two wives sounded worried when he told them he was on his way coming home. He added that he told them that his conscience is clear and has done nothing wrong and had served the country to the best of his knowledge; noting especially at that time when he was appointed as Ambassador to Taiwan. He asserted that he has no cause to flee the country even though he could take the opportunity to do so from where he was at the time.
General Tamba posited that he left the stadium, but could not get his car from the car park due to blockade by other cars. He said he decided to give his car key to a friend and he hired a taxi and headed for his home in Bijilo.
He said upon arrival at his home in Bijilo, he found two plain clothes officers there and told them he got information that they were out to arrest him and they answered in the positive, but asked him to wait for their seniors. He said that he went inside his house and waited for the arresting senior officers to arrive. He said upon their arrival he was taken directly to the NIA Headquarters where he met former IGP Ensa Badjie and was there until 2:00 am, when he was taken into the conference room to face the panel and was told that he is engaged in coup plot against President Jammeh. He said he told the panel that that was news to him and totally untrue. He stated that when the panel realized that he was getting bitter about the allegation, Ensa Badjie told him that it was information that they were investigating and that his involvement was revealed by one Ebrima Bojang. He said that Ensa Badjie told him at the panel that when Ebrima Bojang was arrested at Farafenni he mentioned his (Ensa’s) name as also involved in the coup plot. He stated that Badjie told him he did beat Ebrima Bojang with punches until he (Ensa) had a fracture on his right thumb. He said Badjie also told him if he was him (Tamba) he would beat Ebrima Bojang until he (Bojang) withdrew his name from the allegation list.
Continuing, General Tamba indicated that former deputy CDS Major General Drammeh also told him that while he was about to go for Friday prayers, he was arrested and taken to the NIA and up to that time he could not go home. He added that Drammeh told him that Ebrima Bojang had mentioned his name. He said that NIA Director General, Numo Kujabi, also told him to exercise patience because he (Kujabi) was also named by Ebrima as those involved. Tamba said he was later confronted with Ebrima Bojang up to around 4am, when he was asked to write a statement. He added that before he could do so due to late hours, he was taken to Mile 2 Prison.
He said on November 21, 2009, he made statements and denied all the allegations against him by the state. The said statements were recognized by him and said he still stands by their contents.
Lawyer Tambedou asked: “You were confronted with Ebrima Bojang; did you see him before that confrontation?”
General Tamba said Ebrima Bojang was introduced to him at the panel as Ebrima Bojang, but he told them that he knew him as Ebrima Sanyang. He told the court that it was one evening after closing from work that he found a young man standing under the mango tree outside his compound. He said he was told by soldiers on guard at his home that the Young man wanted to speak to him. He noted that the soldiers told him that the Young man had introduced himself to them as Ebrima Sanyang and said he was a son of his (Tamba’s) sister who is married in Bwiam. He said Ebrima asked him for help in paying for his tuition fee at Quantum Institute, costing D1, 500. He stated that he gave the amount to him the following day. He added that he knew that his sister had a son, but did not know him. He added that he had not been visiting his sister, because of the belief within the Jola tribe that brothers do not frequently visit their sisters’ matrimonial homes.
At this point, the case was adjourned for Tamba to continue with his defense.
Jollofnews Poll
Who do you think should be the next President of The Gambia?
Follow us on Twitter
-
McGuinness wants dissident talksDeputy First Minister Martin McGuinness offers to hold talks with dissident republicans, saying their violence...
-
Egypt candidate to seek election suspension: lawyerCAIRO (Reuters) - Leftist candidate Hamdeen Sabahy will file an appeal for Egypt's presidential election...
-
Bristol Rovers Speed Merchant Could Be Racing To Posh(GamSports) – Peterborough United are thought to be one of a number of Championship sides...