Posted by By Halimatou Ceesay
The 13th prosecution witness in the ongoing murder trial of Solo Sandeng, Monday confirmed to Justice Kumba Sillah Camra of Banjul High court that the death body he admitted seeing in his previous testimony was that of Mr Sandeng.
Mr Sandeng, organising secretary of the United Democratic Party (UDP), died on 15th April 2016 less than 24 hours after he was arrest with a dozen other activists for staging a brief but peaceful protest against the former regime of President Yahya Jammeh at Westfield junction, Serrekunda.
Eye-witnesses said Mr Sandeng and his associates arrived at the busy Westfield junction some 12 kilometres away from the capital, Banjul, during the afternoon rush hour and displayed a banner with the slogan “We Need Proper Electoral Reform”. They also chanted anti-government slogans and demanded Mr Jammeh’s resignment.
However, soon after the protest began, they were arrested by a contingent of security officials and detained briefly at the Police Intervention Unit, Kanifing before being transferred to the feared National Intelligence Agency’s headquarters in Banjul.
Continuing his evidence, Mbemba Camara, a former officer National Intelligence Agency (now State Intelligent Service) claimed to have deduced that from public statement about the case.
Mr. Camara further told the court that Tamba Masireh (7th accused) was a guard security, Sheikh Omar Jeng (3rd accused) was director of Operation, Lamin Darboe (8th accused) a Technical staff and that Yusupha Jammeh works at the NIA but he doesn’t know the section he works.
At this point the witness stepped out of the dock to identify Sheikh Omar Jeng, Tamba Mansireh, Baboucarr Sallah,Yusupha Jammeh and Lamin Darboe by pointing them out one after the other.
Yankuba Badjie, Louis Gomez, former Deputy Director, Saikou Omar Jeng, former director of Operations, Baboucarr Sallah, Haruna Susso, Yusupha Jammeh, Tamba Masireh, Lamin Darboe and Lamin Lang Sanyang are standing trial on 25 charges ranging from murder, causing grievous harm, accessory, conspiracy to commit felony, fraudulently preparing a death certificate, forgery, making document without authority, fabricating evidence, disobedience to statutory and abducting.
They all pleaded not guilty.
The case continues.