Mile 2: Prison officers face injustice allegation

Dr. Badara Loum on Monday 2 March 2020 continued his testimony before the TRRC, giving account of what had happened to him during his Mile 2 detention and how he was taken to court where he was acquitted and discharged.

He said he was taken to State Central Prison (Mile 2) during the night, saying he told the prison officer to put on the light but he was reminded that he was in maximum security wing.

“Every Thursday, the prison officers used to share the meat that was meant for the prisoners. Lot of people died as a result of disease contamination. At the prison, they were promoting ethnicity and the Jolas were given privileges.”

He added that Walf Kujabi who was responsible for checking their health, behaved like he didn’t study medicine. He said their food was very bad and as a result, many fell sick from ‘beriberi’.

He testified that Lamin Sanneh, an architect who drew the plan for the Brikama highway and many bridges, died after he was released from Mile 2.

The former permanent secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, said he was very angry for his detention, while blaming former president, Yahya Jammeh for what had happened. He added that he was not given the right to have access to a lawyer during his stay at the prison.

At NIA, he told the commission that he was interrogated about the issue of the fertilizer that was sold.

He said lawyers, Amie Bensouda and Haddy Danda helped him secure his liberty after 70 days at the prison without charges. He said his service as permanent secretary was terminated while he was in prison.

Dr. Loum revealed that he was subsequently charged with economic crime in a court of law. He however said he was exonerated by an audit report, having been prosecuted for five years. He lamented he was not able to travel or regain employment.

Dr. Loum further indicated that Amie Joof Conteh acquitted and discharged him on 16 January 2012.

He continued that after he was discharged, he requested for his passport from the office of president but he was told that a passport was the property of the state and therefore he should write to the Ministry of the Interior instead. He said he later managed to get another passport which helped him to travel and worked for Food Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

In his concluding remarks, he thanked those that helped him during his detention, most especially the lawyers who represented him in court.