Gambia jails army coup plotters
Thu 19 Apr 2007, 18:29 GMT

BANJUL, April 19 (Reuters) - Gambia sentenced 10 former army officers to
prison terms on Thursday ranging from 10 years to life for their role in a
suspected coup attempt last year in the tiny West African country.

The government said last March it had uncovered a plot led by the former
British colony's defence chief, Ndure Cham. It later detained up to 35
people, charging many of them with treason or conspiracy to commit
treason.

"The prosecution has proven its case beyond all reasonable doubt and
consequently the accused persons have been found guilty on their treason
charges," Sarjo Fofana, president of the court martial, said.

Four senior officers, including the army's former public relations officer
Captain Bunja Darboe, were sentenced to life in prison. Two others
received 25-year jail terms while the remaining four were sentenced to 10
years.

President Yahya Jammeh, a former wrestler, has ruled Gambia since seizing
power in a bloodless coup in 1994.

His opponents accuse him of a range of human rights abuses and of rigging
elections, including those last September when he won a third five-year
term.

A group of military officers accused in the coup plot appeared on
television shortly after they were arrested confessing to a bid to take
over the country while Jammeh was abroad and hand over power to an interim
government.

Cham, the suspected mastermind of the attempted coup, has gone into
hiding. Four civilians and six security officials also charged with
involvement in the plot are still awaiting trial.

© Reuters 2007. All Rights Reserved.

-- 
BambaLaye
Radio Free Gambia
www.freegambia.net

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