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Gambia : I was asked to sign for the heavy guns- Cpl. Bah

Corporal Samba Bah, the 8th accused person in the ongoing Court Martial of military officers alleged to have been involved in the March 21st, 2006 abortive coup, last Friday told the court martial that he was attached to the State Guards battalion, state House.

On his connection with the coup plot, he said in the evening of the 21st March 2006, he was asked by his Commander, Major Modou Sering Njie, to sign for the heavy guns because there was abnormality going on, adding that he complied. Cpl. Bah further testified that Major Njie told him that a coup plot had been discovered. He however adduced that he was not among the soldiers deployed to secure the airport before the arrival of the president but that he was arrested because the 4th accused person, 2nd Lt Pharing Sanyang, was reported to have incriminated him during his interrogation by the panel.

He said the 4th accused, 2nd Lt Pharing Sanyang, was serving at the State House as a Platoon Commander.

Further testifying, Cpl. Bah told the Court Martial that on the 21st March 2006, he was at the State House on duty at the Marina gate as guard commander. He said on 22nd March 2006, Capt. Ansumana Tamba came to his guard post and informed him that he was wanted at the NIA to answer some questions. He said he boarded the vehicle of Musa Jammeh and was driven to the NIA office from where he was taken to the Mile 2 prisons without even being questioned on that day. He said at Mile 2 he was searched before being placed in a cell at the Security Wing.

Cpl Bah claimed that on 27th March 2006, between 10 and 11a.m, he was collected from Mile 2 prison to the NIA office to face the panel, adding that at the panel he met Hydara, Capt. Musa Jammeh, WO2 Nfally Jabang, Demba Sowe, L/Cpl Musa Bojang, Foday Barry, Baba Saho and others whose names he did not know. He related that Hydara told him that the 4th accused, 2nd Lt Pharing Sanyang, had told the panel all what had transpired between the two of them. He said he vehemently denied the allegation, but Hydara insisted that he had to tell the panel something about the alleged coup plot. He said he nevertheless maintained that he knew nothing about the coup. He said he told Hydara that nothing transpired between him and 2nd Lt Pharing Sanyang, adding that he told Hydara that the only thing that transpired between him and Pharing Sanyang was the D150 that Pharing Sanyang credited him. He added that Hydara then told him that the panel had been taking it easy with him, but that now he had to tell the panel what Pharing Sanyang told him about the coup. He said Hydara even related to him that 2nd Lt. Pharing Sanyang claimed to have told him about the coup and even gave some responsibility. He said he vehemently denied that claim. He said Hydara at that point took off his jacket and threatened to slap him, but was prevented by one Demba Sowe. He said Hydara told him that he had to accept what he was about to tell him, which someone among the panel was going to record.

He adduced that he was after wards asked to leave the panel, and detective Boto Keita was called to take the statement written at the panel. He said Boto Keita later took him to a room where he transcribed the statement on a blank sheet of paper. He said he was asked to sign or else risk being got rid of as he would be severely tortured. He said he had to sign the statement because of what happened to his colleagues.