By Mariama Marong
Yankuba Touray, a former lands minister of the defunct AFPRC Government has on Tuesday admitted before the high court that that he did contact ex-Corporal Alagie Kanyi in January 2020.
Testifying before Justice Ebrima Jaiteh of the Banjul High Court, Touray said all their phone conversations except two were initiated by Kanyi.
He is charged with the murder of former minister of finance Mr. Ousman Koro Ceesay.
Alagie Kanyi is the only prosecution witness among the nine who testified that he witnessed the murder of Ousman Koro Ceesay and he actually participated in the process. Kanyi also mentioned that the incident happened at Yankuba Touray’s residence in Kololi, adding the other participants included Edward Singhatey and Peter Singhatey.
Below is the testimony of Touray in verbatim.
K.Tah: When did you first meet with TRRC?
Yankuba Touray: I cannot remember, but it was between January and February 2018.
K.Tah: How many meetings do you have with the commission (TRRC)?
Yankuba Touray: I had one meeting with commissioners.
K.Tah: Are you referring to the meeting with the investigators?
Yankuba Touray: No.
K.Tah: How many meetings do you have with the investigators?
Yankuba Touray: I had two meetings with the Director of Investigations and another meeting with the Lead Counsel.
K.Tah: When did these meetings take place?
Yankuba Touray: My first meeting took place at the TRRC headquarters. I cannot remember the exact date.
K.Tah: Can you remember the month?
Yankuba Touray: I cannot remember, but I think it was around January and February 2018.
K.Tah: After your call with Alhagie Kanyi, was it your first meeting with investigators or your further meetings with investigators?
Yankuba Touray: It was only with the director.
K.Tah: Did you have any other calls with Kanyi after these meetings?
Yankuba Touray: No.
K.Tah: Mr. Touray: Mr. Touray, is it right that your first meeting with the investigators and lead counsel took place on the 18th of December 2018 and not between January and February 2019.
Yankuba Touray: I don’t know the months.
K.Tah: Mr. Touray, you appeared before the commission in June 2019.
Yankuba Touray: Yes.
K.Tah: Your first meeting with the investigators was few months before you appeared at the commission.
Yankuba Touray: Yes.
K.Tah: Your first meeting could not have been between January and February 2018, which is around 17 to 18 months before you appeared before the commission.
Yankuba Touray: Yes, I missed the year. It should have been January 2019.
K.Tah: You are aware of all the meetings with TRRC and investigators that happened in December 2018 and not January and February 2019.
Yankuba Touray: I cannot remember meeting with the TRRC in 2018. It may have happened.
K.Tah: On that first meeting you spoke to the investigators about the 1994 coup.
Yankuba Touray: Yes.
K.Tah: You said the 2nd meeting on the 19th December 2018 you discussed the November 11th aborted coup.
Yankuba Touray: Yes.
K.Tah: You had a 3rd meeting on the 26th of December 2018 in which you discussed the November 11th aborted coup and the prison visits by the Junta.
Yankuba Touray: Yes.
K.Tah: Indeed you have one more meeting with the lead counsel on the 27th December, 2018 in which you touched on issues surrounding your experiences as a Junta member, but not the detail of exactly what happened.
Yankuba Touray: I cannot remember.
K.Tah: At that meeting, concrete discussions were held about your potential testimony before the commission.
Yankuba Touray: Yes, but I am not sure whether it was on this particular meeting with lead counsel.
K.Tah: On the 4th of February 2019, you had two phone call conversations with an individual by the name Fatou Jahumpa Ceesay.
Yankuba Touray: Yes.
K.Tah: Fatou Juhumpa Ceesay was not a member of the Junta.
Yankuba Touray: Yes.
K.Tah: She was never a soldier.
Yankuba Touray: Yes
K.Tah: She was never a member of the cabinet.
Yankuba Touray: Yes.
K.Tah: Between 1994 and 1996, she was never involved in any military planning.
Yankuba Touray: Yes.
K.Tah: Neither did she keep archives or information on military missions between 1994 and 1996.
Yankuba Touray: I don’t know, but she was the director of press and public relations at that time.
K.Tah: During what date?
Yankuba Touray: I think it was between 1994 and 1996, but I don’t know the exact date.
K.Tah: During these two phone calls, you discussed your meeting with the TRRC investigators and the lead counsel.
Yankuba Touray: Yes, because she is a family friend.
K.Tah: And you asked her to help you reach out to Alhagie Kanyi.
Yankuba Touray: Yes.
K.Tah: On same day you called Alagie Kanyi.
Yankuba Touray: Yes, but I got the number from one of Alhagie Kanyi’s colleagues at the Immigration.
K.Tah: And you had more than 5 minute’s conversation with Alhagie Kanyi.
Yankuba Touray: I don’t know.
K.Tah: You don’t know or you don’t remember.
Yankuba Touray: I don’t know whether it was 5 minutes or not.
K.Tah: On the next day, on the 5th January 2019, you had a second call with Alagie Kanyi.
Yankuba Touray: Yes, I had to return his missed call.
K. Tah: You did have a conversation with him on that call.
Yankuba Touray: Yes, but very brief.
K.Tah: In fact, Mr. Touray the call was 2 minutes and 30 seconds long.
Yankuba Touray: It was brief.
K.Tah: You had another conversation with Mr. Kanyi on the 7th January,2019.
Yankuba Touray: Yes, it is possible. He also called me several times.
K.Tah: Mr Touray, you previously tell this court that your first conversation with Mr Kanyi happened after your first meeting with the investigators. This is not correct.
Yankuba Touray: No, it is correct that I called Kanyi after my first meeting with the investigators.
K.Tah: You told this court that after that call you never had any further calls with Kanyi. That is not correct.
Yankuba Touray: No, that is correct. All the further calls were initiated by Kanyi. I did not voluntarily call.
The case was adjourned to 22nd of March 2021 by 1pm for the continuation of the cross-examination.
