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Gambia: Court martial set for judgment tomorrow

The Gambia’s court martial that has been presiding over the trial of soldiers accused of attempting to overthrow the government of President Yahya Jammeh from power on 21 March 2006, is set for judgment tomorrow.

The 10 suspects are Captains Bunja Darboe, Yaya Darboe, Wassa Camara, Major Pierre John Mendy, Abdou Karim Jah, 2nd Lt Pharing Sanyang, Lt Momodou Alieu Bah, Corporal Samba Bah, Lance Corporal Babou Janha and Private Alhagie Nying.

The trial judge, Justice Akomaye Agim, is expected to deliver the landmark judgment at the Yundum Military Barracks, about 25 km from the capital Banjul. Since their arrest in March last year, the coup suspects had been remanded in Mile II Central Prisons until they were charged with treason, which followed their appearance before the court martial in October.

Gambians are waiting for the outcome of the case with big heart. The seven-month trial unearthed so many things, including horrendous tortures the suspects were subjected to while still being detained.

Before the case wrapped up, the defense attorneys – Lamin Camara and Borry Touray - filed a motion asking the state security officials to surrender the confiscated properties of their clients. The lawyers supplied the list of confiscated properties, which according to them, ought to be handed over to the suspects’ families because they are the legitimate owners of them.

They backed their arguments with a constitutional provisional. “The confiscation of the suspects’ properties was illegal since it was not ordered by the court,” the defense team argued.

But the Director of Public Prosecution, Emmanuel Fagbenle, insisted that security investigators have not confiscated the properties of the suspects. Mr Fagbenle added that investigators have even denied knowledge of confiscating the item, let alone to keeping them.

After it had claimed to have foiled a military coup at an “advanced stage”, The Gambia government launched a mass arrest of people, including security officers, lawyers and journalists. The civilian suspects have since been tried at the High Court.

The former Army Chief of Staff, Col. Ndure Cham, who was accused of being the coup leader, purportedly fled the country. But two of his relatives - Mustapha Lowe, Alieu Lowe and Alieu Jobe - have been arrested and detained. Mustapha Lowe, a student, was later released and became a principal state witness.

However, the whereabouts of five suspected coupists, including the former Director General of the National Intelligence, Mr Daba Marena, are still unknown.

On April last year, the government issued a statement to say that the five suspects had escaped when their vehicle somersaulted while they were being transported to a regional prison. There had not been any independent confirmation of the incident. Since then, relatives of the suspects have been living in a wonderland because they are yet to hear from their loved ones.