By Nelson Manneh
Assistant Commissioner of Police and onetime Station Officer at Barra Police Station, Ibrahim Jawara Demba, has admitted before the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) that he was complicit in the former government’s cover-ups and falsification of evidence.
Born on 27th February 1965 in Dasilameh, Demba confirmed to the Commission that 54 people were apprehended at the Barra Police Station, whom, through his interviews, disclosed to him that they were migrants. He said after the migrants were processed, he reported the matter to his superiors.
“Do you know what happened to the station diary?” asked Faal. “Yes it was given to Baboucarr Bah, whom I advised to give it to IGP Ousman Sonko,” he said.
Lead Counsel Faal puts it to him that he (witness), Ousman Sonko, and the Commissioner of that region at the time were all involved in the cover-up. Faal further told the witness that he in fact supervised the copying of the new diary.
“Why would anybody copy a diary from its original book to another book without any reason?” asked Faal.
Demba said at the time he was copying on the new diary, he did not know what was going on. He denied that the IGP contacted him directly because all the information he received emanated from his Commissioner and that the IG never called him directly.
“What you are trying to do is to deny that the IGP called you because you want to pull out your head?” said Faal. “No, Counsel I don’t want to pull out my head,” he responded.
Faal told the witness that he accepted knowledge of transferring everything in a new diary except the incriminating information.
“You supervised Baboucarr Bah, you were in the deep of everything and complicity to the cover-ups,” Faal said. Demba responded in the affirmative.
“The information of the Ghanaians was not included in the new diary,” said Lead Counsel Faal. “Yes Counsel,” said the witness.
“And you knew that was fabrication of evidence?” asked Faal. “Yes,” responded the witness.
Witness Demba confirmed that CID Bah took the diary to former IGP, Ousman Sonko.
“Bah delivered the diary and then your cover-up become accomplished,” said Faal. “Yes,” the witness responded.
