As Detective Abdoulie Sowe Testifies

More revelation continues to be heard at the general court martial on the 21st March abortive coup at the Yundum Military Barracks.

The latest in the proceedings saw the testimony 1850 Abdoulie Sowe, a detective officer. Detective Sowe told the court martial that during the course of their investigation into the foiled coup, they escorted Capt. Bunja Darboe to his office where he showed him a preamble to a statement written by Capt. Darboe supposedly meant to be read to the general public had he coup succeeded.

Detective Sowe added that when they asked Capt. Darboe about the preamble, he replied that it was written by him on the instruction of the ex-CDS, col. Ndure Cham, adding that the statement was supposed to be col. Ndure Cham’s address to the general public on his role and involvement in the coup.

Sowe further testified that during the course of the investigation, a list of documents bearing the names of those involved in the foiled coup as well as those to be arrested and released was also recovered. He also said that a document containing a list of sacrifices was recovered.
He adduced that a document written in Arabic was also recovered from Omar Faal Keita, the alleged marabout of the foiled coup plotters. He added that a video cassette was also recovered from GRTS while a micro tape and small cassette, a radio cassette was recovered from Corporal Mbye Gaye when he was brought before the panel.

Detective Sowe further adduced that during the cause of the investigation they escorted Omar Faal Keita to his residence where Mr Faal Keita took out the document containing the list of items for charity, names of persons and a document written in Arabic and handed over to him.

All the documents and items recovered by Detective Sowe were tendered in court as exhibits.

He said after the recording of the statement from the accused persons, a case file was compiled and handed over to the prosecution for legal proceedings in court.

Under cross examination by the defense counsel, lawyer Camara, detective Sowe said that the video cassette was recovered from Modou Sanyang of GRTS, adding that the micro tape was recovered from CDS col. Lang Tombong Tamba. Detective Sowe however said that he could not tell how many times the panel met to obtain statement from the accused person but affirmed that the investigation lasted for some time.

On his response that the police’s best witness is the station diary and diary of action, he was asked to produce the station diary, diary of action and the report of the investigation at the subsequent hearing.