NIA OPERATIVE TESTIFIES IN 2 PRISON WARDENS’ CASE

By Muhammad Bah An operative of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) on Monday, 14^th July, 2014 gave his testimony in the criminal case involving Mam Bojang and Babucarr Badjie, both Prison wardens, who are accused by the prosecution of aiding a prisoner to escape from the old Jeshwang prison. P C 1542 Peter Mendy announced his representation of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), while the two defendants represented themselves. Testifying before Magistrate Sherrif Tabally of the Kanifing Magistrate’s Court, Kebba Secka, the third prosecution witness (PW3), who is an NIA operative, recalled what transpired between him and the accused persons on the 14 November 2013. He told the Court that he was instructed by his commanding officer, Mr. Sukuta Jammeh, to take the cautionary and voluntary statements from the accused persons and which he did. He said he did this separately and that after the accused persons gave their statements, he read it out to them before asking them to append their signatures. PW3 Secka further told the court that he filed a report and then submitted it to his office. “If you are shown the report, would you be able to recognise it?” asked the prosecutor. The witness responded in the positive. In cross examining PW 3, Mam Bojang, the first accused, asked him whether he or anyone from his office (NIA) has witnessed the incident they are being accused of. The witness responded in the negative. For his part, Babucarr Badjie, the second accused person, asked the witness whether he made his investigation based on hearsay. The NIA operative said he relied on the information he obtained from his department. The case was subsequently adjourned to 29^th July 2014.  ]]>