Ensa Badjie the former Inspector General of Police yesterday continued his defence in the robbery trial involving him and chief superintendent of prisons Ali Ceesay at the Special Criminal Court in Banjul before Justice Ikpala.
Continuing his testimony, Ensa Badjie told the court that he was handcuffed at the back when he appeared before the panel held at the NIA, and the same statements were brought for him to sign.
He added that some of those statements were in connection with the case before Justice Amadi, and some were in connection with the robbery trial.
"I refused to sign the documents because they were not made in my presence, and I was not the author of the statements," Ensa Badjie told the court in his defence.
"At that juncture a polythene bag was put over my head, and I was asked to kneel down. Blood was oozing from my nose and mouth as a result of that torture. I sustained injuries," Badjie told the court.
At that juncture he showed a scar to the court that he alleged sustained as a result of the torture that was inflicted on him at the NIA.
He further told the court that, after the beating, they removed the handcuffS, and he was taken to the bathroom where he washed his mouth and nose, because he was severely bleeding.
He further told the court that Omar Cham tore the statement because it was stained with blood, adding that the people who were present at the panel were Omar Cham, Lamin Darboe and Edrissa Jobe, all of whom have since been dismissed from the NIA.
He disclosed that cotton was given to him to put in his nose, and that later he was taken back to the panel of five NIA and four police officers.
Badjie added that Omar Cham asked him to narrate the case which was before Justice Amadi, adding that Lamin Darboe at that juncture intervened and told Cham that the case was already being investigated.
However, Cham insisted but nobody was willing to record his statement, because they said there was no case against him, as the matter had already been investigated.
"No complainant had come to lodge a complaint against me," he added.
According to Essa Badjie, he was returned to the Mile 2 Prison and then brought back to the NIA on 9th May 2010, where he made a statement without an independence witness present.
Badjie told the court that, before he made a statement, he asked the panel whether he deserved the torture that was inflicted on him, and they all cried.
"I demanded to know the prosecution witnesses, because I wanted to know the witnesses who would testify against me, but I was denied this information," he further told the court in his defence.
"On 9th April 2010, I was again taken to the NIA, where an iron bar was place in between my legs and I was handcuffed at the back, and they started beating me, forcing me to sign a statement, which I refused to do," Badjie continued.
The case at that juncture was adjourned till 9th May 2011, for cross-examination.
