By Momodou Jarju
First Female witness at the truth commission (TRRC), Kaddy Camara, disclosed that her late husband, Alagie Mamadi Sabally was allegedly castrated while in detention under the regime of former President Yahya Jammeh.
Mrs. Camara is the second wife of Mamadi Sabally, who was a politician and businessman and an in-law to the former vice president Saikou Sabally in Dawda Jawara’s regime. Mamadi Sabally had three wives.
She said her husband told them before he died that the former NIA Director Daba Marena, F.R.I. Jammeh former police chief and others he couldn’t recognize tortured him and later used clippers to destroy his testicles.
Camara said her husband was arrested at Farafenni in 1995 upon arrival from Senegal. He was alleged to have sold a compound belonging to his in-law Saikou Sabally and took the money to him in Senegal.
She said Joko Sabally the daughter of her husband informed them about the arrest, saying they could not cook that day when they heard the news.
She further revealed that her husband was taken to the CID office in Banjul where he phoned home and talked to them.
According to Madam Camara, Mamadi Sabally was later taken to Fajara Barracks and detained at Bambadinka at the NIA headquarters.
Further revealing the terrible mistreatment meted to her husband, Madam Camara said Mamadi Sabally informed them that he could have committed suicide if he had the chance due to the severe pain torturers inflicted on his body.
“We were crying when our husband told us this,” she said.
WHEN HE WAS RELEASED
Madam Camara said her husband served more than a year in detention before he was released. She said his body, including his face and legs were swollen, adding that he was unable to talk for a week because of the pain.
Camara said he used to vomit dark blood and they boiled local herbs for him to drink which helped him release the dark blood during urination.
“He kept telling us that the pain he was enduring would eventually kill him,” she explained. Her husband later died at 2pm.
ABOUT SABALLY’S BUSINESS
Camara said her husband was more engaged in compound selling and also had his own shops that he was running, alleging that her husband’s shops were impounded by then Mansakonko Area Council under the then leadership of Alhagi Mamadou Sowe.
She further alleged that the then chief of Jara Soma Yahya Jarjusey told him that government decided to seize her husband’s assets, saying Mr. Jarjusey told her (Kaddy Camara) that if government intended or decided to impound ones properties, there are ways that one needs to do it, and that is to pay the bribe.
She said they had paid a bribe of over D8000 to Yahya Jarjusey in order for them to secure their husbands properties, but to no avail.
“Area Council had sold our shops to Trust Bank, and we were asked to go and detached the corrugated iron sheets over the house, and we did just that,” she said
Camara also disclosed that the Trust Bank in Jarra Soma is currently built where their husband’s shop was stationed. She further revealed that her husband was languishing in the same prison together with OJ Jallow and Alhagi Ceesay.
Commenting on the situation in which they lived with the absence of their husband, Camara explained that it was not easy for them.
“We felt hardship and we worked, that was how we were able to take care of the family; at the time, his children were not old enough. Five kids were going to school (at the lower grade). Those that were going to senior school were 8. We had shops where we got our feeding from and also engaged in the buying and selling of land business,” she said.
Camara added that the buying and selling of land business couldn’t continue because when their husband was arrested his kids couldn’t take charge of the business. “At the time of his death our situation did not improve. We did not go anywhere once they did that to us because we were afraid,” she said.
She finally urged women who faced similar situation like hers to come forth and narrate their stories to the truth commission.
