Baba
Galleh Jallow, the executive secretary of the TRRC on Friday disclosed at a
press briefing, that the 11th session of public hearings will focus on former
President Yahya Jammeh’s Alternative Treatment Programme in which the rights of
several patients were violated. He added that the hearings will start on 20
January, 2020.
The
briefing was held within the TRRC’s premises at Dunes Hotel in Senegambia.
Dr.
Jallow reminded journalists that over the past 12 months, the TRRC had covered
a number of important themes on its work plan.
“These
include circumstances surrounding the July 22, 1994 coup and its immediate
aftermath, the November 11, 1994 incident, the January 1995 arrest and
detention of former AFPRC members Sanna Sabally and Sadibou Hydara, the June
1995 murder of former Finance Minister Ousman Koro Ceesay and the 1996 incident
involving supporters of the opposition United Democratic Party and security
forces at Denton Bridge. It also involves crack down on the media and
violations of human rights against journalists, the activities of the
‘junglers’, some cases of sexual and gender-based violence against women, the
April 2000 student demonstrations, arbitrary arrests, detentions and tortures,
and the 2009 presidential witch hunts in which hundreds of people were forced
to drink dangerous concoctions.”
Dr.
Jallow further disclosed that over the coming year, the Commission will hold
hearings on former President Jammeh’s fake alternative treatment programme,
enforced disappearances, the case of the 44 Ghanaians and other West African
migrants who were killed in The Gambia in July 2005, and the April 2016
incidents involving the NIA and resulting in the death in custody of UDP member
Solo Sandeng.
He
added that the Commission will also hold institutional hearings on the National
Intelligence Agency (NIA), which has been renamed State Intelligence
Services(SIS), the Judiciary, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA),
and the Prisons.
“Other
cases of human right violations including some from past themes will continue
to be investigated and witnesses heard as necessary.”
