By Momodou Jarju
Captain Amat Jangum has on Thursday the 28th March told the TRRC that retired Captain Yankuba Touray fooled them to enable the smooth murder of late Koro Ceesay, an ex-Minister of Finance during the reign of AFPRC transition.
He said in June 1995, he was having the rank of Corporal at the Yundum Barracks as section and guard commander. He said he was deployed at the house of Captain Yankuba Touray in Kerr Sering around the Senegambia area as a head of the guards. He said he was with Private Abdoulie Bojang and one other as guards alongside 2 orderlies to Captain Touray and a driver. He said at this time, Touray was the Minister of Local Government and Lands.
He said he remembered there was a day when the Chairman of the defunct AFPRC was travelling abroad. He added that Captain Touray went to convey the Chairman at the airport for his trip.
“Yankuba Touray’s wife Mami Minteh called me to answer a call. When I received the call, it was Yankuba Touray on the line. He told me there is (was) a birthday party at Captain Edward Singhatey’s house. Yankuba told me that he was sending a vehicle for me to drop his family at Captain Edward’s residence,” the witness said.
He said Touray went further and informed him that there was a boat coming into the country with arms and ammunition.
“Yankuba Touray told me that after dropping his family at Captain Singhatey’s residence, I should be in a civilian dress and go on patrol at the beachside,” the witness adduced.
He said after receiving the information, he briefed his men about it. He added that he went ahead to drop the family at the Captain Singhatey’s residence.
He said Captain Singhatey’s house was located at Cape House near Bakau Cape Point. He added that this was a time when Edward was the Vice Chairperson of the defunct AFPRC. He said after dropping the family, he dressed in civilian clothes and went to the Fajara Beach as ordered by Captain Touray.
“We were walking along the beachside. We walked from Fajara towards Senegambia area but we didn’t see anything. We were not having any weapon with us because it was not proper to be in civilian clothes with an AK 47,” he said.
He said they returned to the residence of Captain Yankuba Touray.
“When we arrived, we met a fleet of vehicles parked at his residence. We met Captain Edward Singhatey smoking and his uniform was wet as well as his shoes were having mud,” the witness said.
He said Captain Singhatey ordered them to return on patrol.
“We were surprised with the order,” the witness said.
He said they went back and continued with the patrol although it was raining and the area was wet. He said they went to Captain Ebou Jallow’s residence and relaxed. He said Captain Jallow was the spokesperson of the redundant AFPRC. He said they returned to Captain Touray’s house but at this time, they did not meet the vehicles parked there.
“We were fooled by Captain Yankuba Touray for the murder to take place smoothly so that there won’t be any witness,” he said.
About the Witness
Captain Amat Jangum said he was born on 12 November 1966 in Barra, Lower Nuimi District of the North Bank Region. He said he completed his secondary education 1985 and became a captain of a boat between Banjul and Barra crossing point. He joined the Gambia National Gendarmerie in 1987.
He said after his training, he was posted at the Mobile Gendarmerie for a few months before he was deployed at the Kombo Police Station. In 1989, he was deployed to Ndungu Kebbeh Gendarmerie Station and in 1991 he was brought back to the Kombo Police Station. He said it was this year (1991) that he was promoted as a corporal adding that he was redeployed to the Ndungu Kebbeh Gendarmerie Station until 1993 when he was deployed to the Kartong Gendarmerie Station under the Tactical Support Group. He said he was at Kartong until 1995.
He said in 1995, they were integrated as part of the Gambia National Army under the Kartong Platoon. He said he was deployed to the first infantry battalion in Yundum under the Bravo Company. He said he was under Captain Wilson Jatta. He told the TRRC that he was deployed to the ECOMOG and came back in 1999. In the year 2000, he said he was promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant.
In the year 2004, he said he was promoted to the rank of Warrant Officer Class 2 and the following year he was deployed to Liberia as a military observer for a year. In 2009, he said he was redeployed to Darfur under the UN for 6 months. He said before he returned, he was already commissioned as an officer with the rank of Lieutenant. He was promoted to the rank of Captain in the year 2012.
