As He Gives Testimony at Treason Trial

Alieu Jobe, the 6th accused person in the ongoing treason trial against four civilians accused of involvement in the 21st March 2006 foiled coup yesterday informed the Banjul High Court presided over by Justice Anin-Yeboah that he was severely tortured prior to making his statements.

Alieu Jobe stated that he was a civil servant serving as Director of the National Treasury of The Gambia before 21st March 2006. He said he was arrested on 23rd March 2006, between 14 and 15 hours at his office, by three armed officers led by Lt. Musa Jammeh. He said after his arrest he was being taken to Mile 2 when Lt Musa Jammeh told him on their way that he had been hunting for him all the while.

He further adduced that he was later questioned by Musa Jammeh about what he knew about the foiled coup but he replied that he knew nothing about the foiled coup. He further narrated that while still at Mile 2, Musa Jammeh instructed some prison officers to search him and then put him away incommunicado in a cell, adding that the instruction was carried out.

According to him on 24th March 2006, at around midnight, W02 Omar Colley collected him from his cell and handed him over to some armed soldiers. He said he was handcuffed, put in a black vehicle and finally driven to the NIA office in Banjul.

On arrival at the NIA, he continued, he was received by Musa Jammeh who escorted him to the panel. “I was questioned about my knowledge in the foiled coup which I vehemently denied,” he added. He said Musa Jammeh reacted by telling him that he had to comply and talk to them. “They kept pressing me, but I still maintained that I knew nothing about the foiled coup,” he stated, adding: “The panel discharged me and Musa Jammeh asked me to follow him. We went behind the NIA building where I was blind folded with a black plastic bag. I was asked to kneel down and they started beating me with sticks and pipes, and it continued for about 30 minutes.” He said that at length Musa Jammeh ordered the beating to stop and he was subjected to questioning again by the same Musa Jammeh, adding that he nevertheless maintained his stand that he knew nothing. “The beating was for me to accept what they were telling me about the coup. So when I persisted, the beating continued throughout and later detective Boto Keita came and advised me to comply, or risk being killed by soldiers. “I still insisted and the beating continued,” he asserted.

Alieu Jobe further stated on realizing that the soldiers would not relent unless he did their bidding, he asked what they wanted of him and was then dictated to by Lt. Musa Jammeh. He said one of the demands was that he had to admit that Col. Ndure Cham had informed him about the coup. He said at the panel Musa Jammeh told him what he should say and Boto Keita was instructed to obtain his statement in that way. “When I requested for a Lawyer to be present, Hydara told me that I should not waste the time, otherwise I would be taken back to where I had come from. I finally complied and wrote the statement.”

He said the shirt he wore on that day had some bloodstains from the bruises he had sustained but adduced that he was never given medical attention.

Alieu Jobe further adduced that on 27th March 2006, at around 11 pm, he was again collected from Mile 2 and taken to the NIA in hand cuffs. On arrival there, he went on, he was made to kneel down before he was beaten again with Musa Jammeh telling him that the beating would continue until he complied. “They beat me until I told them to stop which lasted for almost one hour thirty minutes. I wrote the statement. My mouth and nose bled as a result of the beating,” Alieu Jobe stated, adding “I was never arrested throughout my life.”