Ousman Njie, Director of International Operations at Gamtel, and the seventh prosecution witness in the ongoing Court Martial of the March 21 foiled coup, has testified that he has worked at the Gamtel Earth Station.

He said that the Earth Station is the major gateway for The Gambia’s international calls. “All international call pass through here, voices, data, amongst others”, he said.

He further told the court that on the 20th of March 2006, while on his way to Senegal on an official mission, he received a telephone call from somebody who introduced himself as Captain Wassa Camara.
“He called from the earth station and said he (Wassa) wanted to see me. But, I told him that I am on my way to Senegal and will be back the following day,” he narrated. He continued that on his way back, he received another call from Captain Camara who told him again that he wanted to see him. “I told him well it’s very late and I am in the ferry. If not possible today, why not tomorrow”, he said.Mr Njie added that Cpt Camara told him that he (Njie) was supposed to bring him something from Senegal.
“I asked him from who? He said from one Ebrima Fatty’s sister in Senegal. I told him that I had nothing for him from Ebrima Fatty’s sister and he insisted that I had something for him from Ebrima Fatty’s sister and he said Ebrima leaves in Bakau. I asked for Ebrima’s number, but he replied that he did not know. I told him if you want to see me, come to my office. But he sounded unhappy and I put my phone down. That was it,” Mr Njie said.

Mr Njie further told the Court Martial that he did not at anytime know Ebrima Fatty and did not make any arrangements with or anybody to bring anything for Cpt Camara, before he made those calls. The defence team did not cross-examined Mr Njie.Also testifying on the same day, Lamin Colley, a Technician at the Gamtel Abuko Earth Station, told the court that the accused Cpt Camara, visited their office on the 20th and 21st March, 2006, “saying that he wanted to talk to Mr Njie. On all these occasions, they spoke over the phone”. Mr Colley then identified the accused person in court.

During the cross-examination by defence counsel Lamin Camara, Mr Colley said he has never met Cpt Camara, before and did not know him before the 20th or the 21st March. “I did not see him physically but I saw him on television. I don’t know the reason why Cpt Camara wanted to talk to Mr Njie”, he told the Court Martial. On the same day, Justice Akomaye Agim, Presiding Judge in the Court Martial delivered his ruling on the undated statements of Captain Bunja Darboe. He ruled that he found the evidence of the prosecution witnesses, Sergeant Boto Keita and Babou Loum, the independent witness to be credible and not contradictory. He said the evidences adduced before the court are acceptable in any competent court.