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In Court Martial Captain Mendy denies involvement
As the state concluded its case against 10 officers, who were being court martialed at the Yundum Military Barracks, in connection with the March 21, 2006 foiled coup plot, Captain Pierre Mendy, the sixth accused person, has denied involvement in the foiled coup.
Testifying before the court, as the team of defense counsel opened their case yesterday, Capt. Mendy said on 21st March 2006, at night, four officers of the Gambia Armed Forces (GAF) visited his house and informed him about an instruction to arrest him.
“We boarded a black vehicle, which was parked outside. Upon reaching the State Central Prison at Mile II, I was handed over to the prison authorities, who conducted a thorough search on me, before putting me in cell No 5, with two blankets and kissed me good night”, he said.
Capt. Mendy added that on 23rd March, 2006, armed officers from GAF came to pick him from the State Central Prisons and took him to the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) Headquarters for questioning before a panel of investigators.
According to Capt. Mendy, the panel of investigators told him that he appeared before them to defend himself and he must tell them about his role, knowledge and involvement in the foiled coup plot. He said he responded in the negative, despite numerous requests, threats and inducements from the panel that, they are going to use him (Capt. Pierre Mendy) as a state witness. According to Capt. Mendy, he was forced to say that somebody told him about the coup plot, to which he named RSM Alpha Bah. At that juncture, he said, Police Detective Lamin Cham was instructed to take cautionary statements from him in another room, without the presence of an independent witness.
Capt. Mendy further told the court that he was taken to the NIA Offices on several occasions. He added that he was on 1st June, 2006, taken to the conference room of the State Central Prisons, before the panel of investigators and later taken to the NIA Headquarters again.
He revealed that Police Detective, Lamin Cham, once gave him a “blanket” witness statement, on which he was asked to write a witness statement. He said he had demanded to see his lawyer before making any statements.
Lamin Camara, Counsel for Capt. Mendy, demanded from the court to see the said witness statement. But the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Emmanuel Fagbenle told the court that the document was not in his possession. However, he promised to produce the statement in question before the court, which he later did.
During the cross examination, Capt. Mendy said he was a military police before and that he knew Capt. Wassa Camara. Asked by DPP Fagbenle if he had ever stepped his foot in a police station, Capt. Mendy replied in the negative, saying “I have never arrested anyone. I did not also discuss anything with ex-CDS Ndure Cham. I was more than surprised when they came to arrest me”, he said. The sitting continues today.
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