By Kemeseng Sanneh
The United Democratic Party (UDP) has on Tuesday tendered six (6) videos through their party member, Kemo Bojang, who testified as the first witness in the case against six (6) advisers of President Adama Barrow. All the videos were admitted in evidence by the Supreme Court Judges.
The case was filed by UDP and its member, Ebrima Dibba against Dembo Bojang (Religious Adviser), Dou Sanno (Deputy Political Adviser), Lamin Cham (President’s Personal Aide), Hendry Gomez (Special Adviser), Lamin K. Saidy (Deputy Youth Adviser) and Sulayman Camara (Cyber Security Adviser).
Lawyer Ousainou Darboe informed the court that their witness was in court and ready to testify. Kemo Bojang, a nominated councillor in the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) and a member of the UDP was sworn in and he testified before the court.
Senior Lawyer Abdul Aziz Bensouda led Kemo to give his evidence. Kemo said he is related to Dembo Bojang alias Dembo By-Force. He added that Dembo Bojang is the National President of the National People’s Party (NPP) for life. Kemo said after he was appointed as the life National President of the NPP, Dembo By-Force informed the family about the news and he went to Dembo to congratulate him. Asked where he met Dembo, the witness said it was at a garage.
Kemo said he has three (3) videos where Dembo Bojang was elected as the National President of NPP. He said one of the videos was at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Center taken in December 2023.
“You said the first video was in December,” Lawyer Bensouda asked.
“Yes, if my memory can serve me, the NPP Congress was held in December,” Kemo said.
“How sure are you that it was held in December?” Lawyer Bensouda asked.
“[It is] because all parties held their Congress in December,” the witness answered.
The witness said Dembo was a member of the UDP, but joined the NPP in 2019.
The video was played in court where a reporter was interviewing Dembo Bojang on LSTV online. Dembo Bojang was heard saying the 2016 Coalition was built by him, Halifa Sallah, Sidia Jatta, Omar Jallow and others, today [as of that day] he was selected as the National President of the NPP. Dembo said he was in UDP for 22 years and now he moved to NPP serving as the life President, a position he will hold until his death.
The witness identified the person speaking in that video as Dembo Bojang. He said he obtained the video from LSTV located in Texas, America with a branch in Gambia. He added that he downloaded the video by screen recording it. He explained that he transferred the video to a flash drive after recording it.
The video was tendered and admitted in evidence. Lawyer Ida Drammeh for Dembo Bojang applied for the video to be transcribed since it was in Mandinka Language. The court ordered the video to be transcribed.
The second video tendered was from Kerr Fatou during the local government elections wherein Dembo Bojang was seen with the NPP-nominated councillors at the IEC Regional Office. The witness said Dembo Bojang was seen in the video saying as the National President of the NPP, they would win all the seats. On how he obtained the video, the witness explained the same method as the first video. The video was tendered and admitted in evidence.
The third video was the campaign for the mayoral election. The video was played and Dembo Bojang was speaking at a rally held at Bakau calling for the people of Bakau to rally behind NPP. It was also tendered and admitted in evidence.
The witness tendered videos concerning Lamin Cham, Dou Sanneh, Lamin K. Saidy and Hendry Gomez. The videos were tendered and admitted as evidence. The videos for Lamin Cham and Dou Sannoh were at the same place speaking at a political rally. For the video containing Lamin K. Saidy’s footage, he was addressing young people in Foni calling on them to rally behind the President and encouraging them to believe in themselves. For Hendry Gomez, the video was about his party’s congress.
The witness also tendered a Facebook post of Lamin K. Saidy where he wrote “Allah has brought endless blessings on my table for me, I was appointed as the Deputy Youth Adviser and Deputy National Youth Adviser and today is my birthday.”
Kemo Bojang said he secured the post from Lamin K. Saidy’s page and he screenshots the post and printed it.
“Do you know Sulayman Camara?” Lawyer Bensouda asked.
“I know him to be the adviser on media and communication for the NPP,” the witness answered.
“Did you ever meet Mr Sulayman Camara?” Bensouda asked.
“Yes, I know,” the witness said.
“Will you recognise Sulayman Camara?” Bensouda asked.
“Yes,” the witness said.
“Your party alleged that Mr Sulayman Camara is the secretary of media and communications do you have any evidence of the allegation?” Bensouda asked.
“I don’t have any evidence for now, but I followed the Congress and I know Sulayman Camara is the media and communication officer of the NPP, he also engaged in the media space for the NPP. I also watched a video during the President’s Meet the People tour. He accompanied the President as the media, communication and cyber security adviser of the President,” the witness said.
Lawyer Ida Drammeh commenced cross-examination of the witness.
“Do you agree that Sulayman Camara was appointed by the President as the adviser on cyber security?” Lawyer Drammeh asked.
“Yes, and I mentioned that,” the witness said.
“Do you remember the date of his appointment?” Drammeh asked.
“No,” the witness answered.
At this point, Lawyer Darboe informed the court they have made efforts to get the appointment letters of all the defendants but to no avail and he wants the court to make an order for the appointment letters to be produced.
Counsel Ida Drammeh produced the appointment letter of Sulayman Camara to Lawyer Darboe.
“Do you know that he is appointed as an honorary adviser?” Lawyer Drammeh asked.
“Not to my knowledge,” the witness said.
“I am putting it to you that he is appointed as an honorary adviser,” Lawyer Drammeh told the witness.
The appointment letter of Sulayman Camara was handed to the court and Kemo Bojang for confirmation.
“This is a document that can be prepared by anyone. I have not seen this document before,” the witness said.
“Mr Bojang all you know about the case is from Facebook and Kerr Fatou,” Lawyer Drammeh told the witness.
“No, not all I know comes from Facebook and Kerrfatou. I followed the other media’s like GRTS and also from the personal self,” the witness said.
“You have not followed them that’s why you didn’t see their appointment letters,” Drammeh said.
“Yes, I don’t see their appointment letters,” Kemo said.
“It is correct that Mr Sulayman Camara was appointed on the 25th of January 2023,” Drammeh asked.
“Not to my knowledge,” Kemo said.
“Mr Sulayman Camara was never an adviser to the President, but an honorary adviser,” Drammeh said.
“I have listened to Sulayman Camara and I never heard him calling himself an honorary adviser. He calls himself an adviser,” the witness said.
“I can call myself the President does that make me a president?” Lawyer Drammeh asked.
“No,” the witness said.
“Mr Dembo Bojang is 70 to 80 years. What is the retirement of the service servant?” Lawyer Drammeh asked.
“60 years,” the witness said.
“So, according to the rule of the public service someone cannot be appointed above 60 years,” Lawyer Drammeh told the witness.
The witness said the appointment letters could be tampered with. Lawyer Drammeh also told him that his recordings could also be tampered with.
The witness tried arguing that a screen recording cannot be tampered with, but Lawyer Drammeh insisted that a screen recording can be tampered with.
The case will be coming today at 9:30 am for the continuation of hearing.
