By Nelson Manneh
Sergeant Saikou Jallow, a police officer yesterday testified in the trial involving 8 senior intelligence officers and a doctor, before Justice Kumba Sillah-Camara of the Banjul High Court.
When the case was called, Lawyers Antouman AB Gaye, Combeh Gaye, Lamin S. Camara, Yassin Senghor and Rachel Y. Mendy appeared for the state. Lawyer Mene appeared for the first accused person, Yankuba Badjie. All the nine accused persons were present at the court. Prosecution Witness 4, Mr. Jallow, told the court that he is a resident of Tallinding; that he has been working as a police officer for the past eleven years and is presently stationed at the PIU headquarters in Kanifing. Mr. Jallow testified that in the year 2016, he was on duty on that faithful day at the PIU headquarters in Kanifing when the demonstration occurred. “I saw a truck entering the barracks (PIU headquarters) which was loaded with people and the truck was a police truck,” he said.
The Public prosecutor for the State, Lawyer Antouman AB Gaye, asked PW4 ‘‘whether he knew the people who were in the truck?’’
In his response, Sergeant Jallow said “they were taken to the hall at the PIU headquarters in Kanifing where they were detained; that they were accused of being among the protesters.
He said their names were taken by one Sub-Inspector named Samba Bah who brought the list of the detainees to be typed in his office. At this time, he said he was on duties when the incident occurred. When asked why the list was brought to his office to be typed, he responded that he was to type the names of the detainees, which he did. He said he was there together with the ex-IGP Yankuba Sonko, Ex NIA Director Yankuba Badjie and others who were all working at the Police Head Quarters in Kanifing. He was asked which time the incident happened and he said in the afternoon. He told the Court that whilst he was in his office, one of his junior officers, Lamin D. Saidy, came to him and told him that the detainees were being taken by some NIA personnel to the NIA headquarters (Banjul).
The matter was then adjourned to the 12th day of December 2017, for continuation of hearing.
