Alieu Jobe, the former Acting Director of Treasury, yesterday ended his testimony at the ongoing treason trial involving six accused persons in the March 21 foiled coup plot involving three other civilians, Tamsir Jasseh, Omar Faal Keita and Demba Dem at the High Court in Banjul.

According to him, during the five days he spent at the NIA, he was kept in a cell referred to as “Bambadinka”, where he slept in a room without a mosquito net or mattress.
“This place was filthy all over and I was only given a meal once a day which was breakfast. During this time, I was not asked to write a statement but every night the same people would come around me and was I was subjected to torture”, he said.

According to him, on April 14th 2006 at around 10 pm he was collected from his cell at Mile II and taken to the NIA Headquarters where he met Lt Musa Jammeh who took him to the back of the NIA building where he was tortured again.

He added: “I was tortured, detained, beaten and insulted to accept certain issues they put across to me, which I did not have a clue of. These beatings continued for a long time until I complied with what they asked of me. I was then taken to a room where Boto Keita took my statement”, he said.

Mr. Jobe revealed to the court that throughout these periods, he did not set eye on Babou Loum, an independent witness who claimed to have witnessed him recording his statement.

“My lord, during the time I was recording my statement, I was asked to enter a room where the investigation panel was and to my surprise, I saw Corporal Sowe, a video camera operator for the Armed Forces, and Lt Gano, now an ADC to the President seated with Harry Sambou, then Director General of the NIA, Ousman Sonko, Inspector General of Police and the newly promoted Chief of Defence Staff, Lang Tombong Tamba among others,” he continued.

According to him, this happened after March 25th 2006, before he was detained at the NIA Headquarters and the said video was recorded at night. He told the court that amongst them, he recognised nobody from GRTS.
Mr. Jobe admitted knowing Momodou Sanyang, Director General of GRTS, but said he was not present during the recording.

He added: “Musa Bojang did inform me that he went to my house were he met my sister-in-law, Binta Kuyateh, and from where he took my shirt and trousers. During my stay at the NIA, the men who were beating me were led by Lt Musa Jammeh, Ismaila Jammeh, Malick Jammeh, Malick Jatta, Sanna Manjang, Michael Correa, Alieu Jeng and Tumbul Tamba. During this time, I was bleeding through my mouth and nose.

I knew Lt Musa Jammeh and had a relationship with his ex-wife Kaddy Jammeh as I [Jobe] was her former lecturer at the Nusrat Management Campus Training Centre and at the Jollof Tutors.”

Tamsir’s testimony

Meanwhile, Tamsir Jasseh in his testimony told the court that he was detained at the Security Wing of the State Central Prison, at Mile II at cell number 12 and had the chance to see where other accused persons are kept.

He told the court that he first saw Alieu Jobe on April 14, 2006, when he [Jasseh] went to the NIA Headquarters and that a black plastic bag was put over his [Alieu Jobe’s] head.
At the end of their testimony, the accused were cross-examined by DPP Emmanuel Fagbenle, acting Director of Public Prosecution.