The Director of Public Prosecution, Emmanuel Fagbenle, yesterday announced the closure of the state’s case before the court martial.

The state prosecution’s decision follows the testimonies of 10 prosecution witnesses before the general court martial sitting at the Yundum Military Barracks.

Under cross-examination by the defense counsels, WO2 Nfally Jabang, one of the prosecution witnesses, told the court that a video cassette was recorded on the 26th March 2006. He said the recording of the video cassette was done following a request made by the 3rd accused person, Capt. Wassa Camara, to narrate their involvement in the foiled coup; to apologise to the general public and seek for mercy from the president of the republic.

WO2 Jabang further stated that Capt. Bunja Darboe, Capt. Yahya Darboe, Capt. Wassa Camara, Tamsir Jasseh, and the marabout, Omar Keita (Faal), were among those recorded on the video cassette. He said the recording was done in the presence of two police officers, detective Lamin Cham, detective Abdoulie Sowe, and two independent witnesses namely the GRTS Director-General, Momodou Sanyang, and a member of the camera crew.
He said the video Cassette was recorded while the accused persons were in their custody. He admitted that he did not know what had transpired during the recording as he was not inside the recording hall. He also said he personally did not pick the accused persons from Mile 2 to the NIA headquarters, adding that he would not know what had happened to them at Mile 2 as he was not there.

WO2 Jabang further adduced that the recorded video cassette was aired over GRTS on the authority of the judicial panel. He said the alleged written statement was recovered at the GAF headquarters in Capt. Bunja Darboe’s office, and was read on GRTS on the 27th March 2007. He said the accused persons were cautioned before the recording of the video cassette, adding that the micro tape recorder was recovered from the Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) Col. Lang Tombong Tamba.

The case was at that point adjourned to 7th February, 2007 for defence to open its case.