By Yankuba Jallow
Commissioner Abdoulie Sanneh of the Gambia Police Force has denied Lawyer Christopher E. Mene’s claim that he is a school dropout. Testifying under examination in Chief before Justice Kumba Sillah-Camara of the Banjul High Court, Sanneh said he joined the Gambia Police Force in the year 1995; that he used his secondary fourth Certificate to get enlisted in the police. Going further, Sanneh rejected Counsel Mene’s assertion that he did not complete his Secondary School education. The Senior Police officer told the court that he has his Secondary School Certificate at his personal file at the Gambia Police Force headquarters, and has the original one at home. He also testified that he will make his certificate available to the court. At this juncture, Lawyer Mene applied for the witness to bring his certificate to court and the application was granted.
According to him, Yankuba Badjie, the first accused person is not a police officer and cannot be part of the police command. He noted that on the 14th day of April 2016, he received a phone call from Commissioner Kebba Bojang who had informed him that a group of people were gathered at the Westfield to protest.
Counsel Mene asked whether a Commissioner can take command from his subordinate. PW3 Sanneh told the court that subordinates take command from their seniors but not the other way round. Counsel Mene on his cross-examination asked if it is proper for someone who is not an officer of the Gambia Police Force, to give order in the presence of senior police officers, Commissioner Sanneh replied: ‘Yes at times because a Minister of Interior can give orders to a police officer to act and he will act”. Lawyer Mene asked for the reason, and Commissioner Sanneh replied that because the Gambia Police Force is under the Ministry of Interior.
