Explaining his encounters with the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) for his alleged involvement in the 2006 attempted coup, the plaintiff explained how they were tortured and abused and taken in for questioning regarding the alleged attempted coup in 2006.
He said working as a member of parliament at the National Assembly was very challenging and risky, reiterating receiving multiple warnings by Ebrima Jim Drammeh and Edrissa Samba Sallah for his boldness to bring up issues that needed addressing.
He said that at some point, he felt conversations in sittings at the National Assembly were being recorded and reported to the former President.
Asked by the court whether he proposed any bills to prohibit torture, he replied: “During Jammeh’s time, you dare not say or do anything like that. The only thing they could do was lament at the National Assembly but that was the height of their efforts.”
The defendant asked whether he was aware of discussions taking place in government or the cabinet, but he replied that he was a member of the legislature and not a member of the cabinet.
However, when he was asked regarding his testimony at the Truth Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC), (1st and 2nd Day, 43rd minute on 25th June 2019, first part of his hearing), he said he could not remember what he said because of the trauma and mental abuse he underwent during his detention.
Forced to eat foul meat by David Colley
Referring to his testimony at the TRRC, the defendant asked the plaintiff about the issue of foul meat which was given to them by former Director of Prisons David Colley and that made him sick, the plaintiff replied that he could not remember again because of the trauma he had to undergo.
The defendant then took him to a statement he made at the office of the Attorney General in 2012, where he recounted his encounters with bad food at the prison with the carcass of a three-day dead cow that was forced upon them to pick and eat by Colley which gave them diarrhea, he again replied not remembering the dates as a result of the trauma he was going through.
After having confirmed the statement he made during the course of the investigation, the plaintiff explained that he was kidnapped in March 2006 from the Parliament, taken to the NIA premises on several occasions where he was questioned on his suspected role in the alleged coup attempt. He also answered that he did not know anything about it.
During the TRRC proceedings, the court requested a consultation with a handwriting expert under the police headquarters. However, the plaintiff contested that was not his signature.
During the trial in Bellinzona, the plaintiff said he had to write the signature under duress, and that Ismaila Jammeh forced him to sign but that was not his original signature.
He said that following court investigations, the court rejected his signature and accepted it was not his signature. He was acquitted and discharged, he told the Swiss Court.
However, following his release, he was re-arrested by David Colley again under the orders of the former president and taken to Mile 2. He said Colley told him that Yahya Jammeh should give orders, not the court.
He also said he was subjected on other occasions to acts of torture. As a result, he suffered wounds on different parts of his body.
