PW6 continues testimony in Ensa Badjie and co trial

Idrish Masade, the 6th prosecution witness in the criminal trial involving former police chief Ensa Badjie and two senior military officers, Lt.Co Mam Matarr Secka and Major Kuluteh Manneh, yesterday continued his testimony at the high court in Banjul before Justice Emmanuel Amadi.

PW6 told the court that he received a call that he should report to the Kotu Police Station, adding that he also called Pa Habibou Mbye and went with him to Kotu Police Station, where they found the Director of NIA, the three accused persons, and many other security officers.

The witness adduced that Ensa Badjie told them they were there in respect of the matter from the Minister’s office, adding that Ensa Badjie pulled out some stones and stated that these were the stones Sillaba was dealing in.

He added that he asked Sillaba what those stones were, but Sillaba could not answer, and the 1st accused eventually answered for Sillaba, saying that the stones were diamonds, stating that he told the 1st accused that he should not answer for Sillaba, because if Sillaba deals in diamonds he should be able to identify a diamond.

Still testifying PW6, told the court that Ensa Badjie called one Omar Ndaw through the phone, and ordered him to report to Kotu Police Station, adding that when Omar came he was interrogated, and a statement was obtained from him.

He said he (the witness) also gave a statement at the Kotu Police Station, where the 1st accused Ensa Badjie told them that all what was recorded in the CD was false and, in fact, all what they were talking was about diamonds, drugs and blocks.

The witness adduced that after giving a statement, the then CMC, Yankuba Sonko, said he (PW6) and one Charles should be detained, but Pa Mbye intervened and insisted that if Masade and Charles were to be detained, he (Pa Mbye) should also be detained.

“We were released and asked to report a few days later to police headquarters, which we did. At the Police headquarters in Banjul, we found Sillaba Samateh and some others in an office, and we were asked to question each other, which we did,” PW6 continued.

Masade told the court that they were later released and told to come back, adding that when they returned to the police headquarters, cautionary statements was obtained from them and they were subsequently charged for giving false information to the then minister in charge of National Assembly matters.

Idrish Masade further adduced that they were granted bail by the police, and asked to report in few days’ time, adding that on 23rd December 2009, they were led by the then Chief Superintendent Tijan Badjie to the Banjul Magistrates’ Court, where a five-count charge was read to them, which they denied.

He said the prosecuting officer Tijan Badjie then called his first witness, who happened to be Sillaba Samateh, and he gave evidence against them.

He said when the case was adjourned, Pa Habibou Mbye called and told him that he got a call that they should report to the NIA headquarters in Banjul.

At the NIA headquarters, he continued, they were asked to give a statement, which they did, and were asked to come back, further stating that when they came back they were taken into a conference room where they met the accused persons, and Sillaba Samateh.

The case at that juncture was adjourned untill 13 July 2011, for cross-examination.