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Witness says he did not know why jailed IGP was not investigated
Saturday, 01 May 2010 21:24
The treason trial of Lang Tombong Tamba and co continued at the High Court in Banjul, Friday 30th April, with cross-
examination by Lawyer Sheriff Tambedou, one of the defense councils.Tambedou asked the witness whether he was aware that the 3rd accused person was Bo Badjie, the director of intelligence security of the
Gambia Armed Forces, but the officer said he was not aware, and that he knew that he was director general of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA).In response to questions, the witness stated that he knew IGP Badjie, but did not know whether the mobile number 9960288 belongs to the IGP. He also said the panel’s investigation of the IGP’s involvement in this case is not up to his knowledge. He said he could not tell why he (former IGP) is not been investigated and that there was no complaint against the IGP before the panel.
Questioned whether Ebrima Marreh, the first prosecution witness, did allege any meeting with former IGP in this case, the witness said it’s not up to his knowledge. He also said it is not up to his knowledge as to whether the panel realized that the telephone printouts for Ebrima showed that he was in daily contact with the Ex-IGP in the month of October and November 2009. He also said he did not know about Ebrima Marreh’s alleged explanation to the panel that he spent the night at Kanilai, and that he did not also know whether the panel investigated the bank account of the seventh accused, Abdoulie Joof.
“Why was Ebrima Marreh not charged for treason?”, asked Lawyer Tambedou. “Not up to my knowledge,” the witness replied.
The NIA officer said that he did not know whether the first accused, Lang Tombong Tamba and the second accused, Omar Bun Mbye, are friends. He said he has no knowledge of Lang Tombong and Abdoulie Joof having lunch and playing football every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
Tambedou put it to the witness that Lang and Abdoulie, since 1995, play football together and have lunch every week. But the witness said he cannot know whether the 1st and 8th accused persons talk on telephone every day. He added that the panel have not investigated claims by Lang that he was featured on Guinea Bissau TV during his visits. The witness told the court that he heard from people that the 1st accused person lost his father on 11thFebruary 2009, but did not know about the seventh day charity for the father at Siffoe.
The witness said the information on Exhibit P25, a downloaded from a website www.allGambia.net, was exchanged by one of the panel members. Further asked whether the panel investigated which country the said website is, the wetness said, “a website is a website, anybody can go in and browse, then it is not necessary to know which country it is.”
Tambedou then asked him whether the panel has investigated that it is Kokoi who posted the information on the Exhibit 25, the officer said they based it on the information they had. He said that he did not know whether Kukoi Samba Sanyang posted any other article on the website. He accepted that the first accused is the first Gambian to hold the rank of Brigadier General, Major General and Lt. General.
Shown a picture and asked whether he knows the gentle man in it, he answered in the positive, adding that the guy works with the NIA. He also disclosed that the man obtained statements from the accused persons and works under the operations unit. He said he has been a security officer since 1970, but denied knowing Lang Tombong been one time Vice President of GFA.
The witness said he did not know about the 1st accused person’s election as president of the Gambia National Olympics Committee (GNOC). He said he did not know that Lang was the president of the National Inter-departmental Sports Association (NISA), but acknowledged that all the services are members of NISA.
Cross-Examination by Senior Defense Counsel Pap Cheyassin Secka
Senior defense counsel Secka asked the witness whether he knew who received the printout on behalf of the panel. The witness said he did not know any particular individual who received the printouts. Asked whether the printouts were studied by the panel, he said those who were assigned must have studied it.
“When Ebrima Marreh was arrested in Farafenni, on 19th November 2009, did you see him on that day?” asked Secka. “No”, replied the witness who added he saw Ebrima on 21st November when he was brought to the panel for questioning, which was the time the investigation team was formed.
“Do you remember in that statement that the Ex-IGP Badjie, the present Director General of NIA and others had a meeting at the office of the IG in which the coup plot was planned”, Secka asked.
“I have never come across that in the statement”, answered the witness.
On the statement of Lt. Yerro Jallow, the commander of Farafenni Barracks, the witness said if he did not forget, he read the statement. Put to him that Lt. Yerro Jallow made an NIA statement on the 25th November 2009, but the witness retorted that he did not know because he does not write statements.
When Secka wanted to read part of the statement to the witness, DPP Chenge objected.
Secka told the court that he wanted to refresh the witness’s memory on the statement because he said if he had not forgotten he must have read it.
The DPP also cited Section 29 of the Evidence Act to back his argument, adding that the statement is not before the court. Secka then told the court that he has the right to refer the witness to a statement he saw and read before. The presiding judge, Justice E.A. Amadi, asked Counsel Secka to forget about the statement but the senior defense counsel said that he will not forget about it unless he (the judge) asked him to do so.
The judge then said as the witness is not brought before the court, the counsel do not have any right to ask the witness on that statement and he asked the counsel to continue.
Secka then asked the witness whether any finding was made on the printouts for the panel. The witness said he did not know.
Lawyer Secka further asked the witness whether he knew, according to the printout, that none of the accused persons made or received a single telephone call from the two telephone numbers as attributed by him (witness). The witness said he did not know.
Asked whether he knew that according to the printouts PW1, Ebrima Marreh’s recorded calls are listed and Kukoi’s numbers reflected on PW1’s recorded calls on 16th November 2009. “I am not an expert”, the witness responded.
“Do you know that the printouts which came from the NIA as an Exhibit shows that none of the accused persons received calls from Rui Jabbi Gassama”, asked Secka.
“I do not know”, replied the witness.
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