EDITORIAL:COUP SUSPECTS EXPOSED TO TRIAL BY MEDIA-CONFESSION WAS DUE TO DEATH THREATS!!!
EDITORIAL
The so called coup suspects, were exposed to trial by media by the Jammeh administration on Monday. The government controlled media handed their microphones to the coup suspects, one by one to testify about what transpired on the day in question. A speech purportedly written by the alleged coupists was read on TV, by Lieutenant Bunja Darboe. The speech contained detailed information about their plans to topple the regime of Jammeh. We heard about the Senegal connection and the officers confession to this capital offence, involving death by punishment.
MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS
ON THE ALLEGED COUP!!!
The most disheartening thing about the whole affair, was the government’s naked attempt to preempt the judicial process. Under normal democracy, where the rule of law is uphold, these incriminating testimonies should be preserved for the courts and not in this grand style media trial. The rush attitude on the side of this administration will no doubt continue to raise more doubts on this so called coup.
Mere testimonies without material evidence will not help the situation. Gambians want evidence and not this media trial intended to convinced the world and Gambians in particular that these detainees wanted to topple Jammeh’s government. There are more questions than answers. The government once again exposes its stupidity and ignorance by trying to indict the detainees in the open. These so called revelations is not helping the government of the day at all. It is rather putting them in a funny position. Doubts are still lingering in the minds of Gambians.
It is our contention that these soldiers and former security chiefs were put under duress to own up to the alleged coup. Listening to these officers testimonies, one will conclude that they were forced to confess or risked being killed. Nobody want to die under torture. These soldiers will rather confessed than to allow to be killed by Jammeh’s hit squads. This is the reality. As the saying goes “ A buried truth shall rise one day.”
Leaks from the investigators suggested that the detainees were threatened with mass execution, if they failed to confess to the crime they were accused of. President Jammeh himself personally confronted the detainees and was heard saying that if they fail to talk they should be exposed to firing squad. These are not allegations. We received these reports from sources in the heart of his government.
What is disturbing at this hour is the well arraigned media trial. What is the government trying to achieve by exposing the detainees to such an unwarranted media trial. It would have been prudent if the private media were allowed to interview the detainees as well.
As a journalist in The Gambia, I witnessed a press conference at the Fajara Barracks, where some Nigerian Nationals were arraigned before the press after been accused of possessing US counterfeit bank notes, amounting to several millions. Coup suspect Bunja Darboe, moderated that press briefing. During questions time, I asked one of the detainees whose eyes were red and had injuries on his face if he was tortured while in custody. This was what the detainee had to say “ I’m afraid to talk” I retorted by telling him” We want to know if you were exposed to torture because your appearance suggested that something is wrong with you.” The detainee was later given courage by The Gambia National Guard Commander to speak out. To our surprise, the Nigerian man said he was nearly tortured to death to sign a cautionary statement. Other detainees also narrated the ordeal they suffered from the hands of the soldiers.
Interestingly, the GNG commander was carrying a shocking machine gun, which he tried to scare me with. I asked him if he uses the said gum to elicit confession from detainees, the officer replied in the affirmative. “ Yes, we used it when they refused to talk or want to be aggressive on us.” This story we are talking about is in the archives of the Point Newspaper.
To cut a long story short, what we are saying here is that the detainees should be interviewed by their lawyers to find out what happened. If Monday’s media trial conducted by the GRTS is to go by, then there is no need to take the accused persons to court. They have pleaded guilty under Yahya’s judge Borra Mboge, Director of GRTS.
This regime is in the business of preempting judicial matters. The alleged Kartong attackers and Farafenni coupists were subjected to the same media trial. At the end of the day, Gambians remained unconvinced about their story telling tactics. In the absence of evidence, this regime cannot say anything that will convince us.
We are against coups and we condemned any attempt to change a government through force. We believe in promoting the democratic process than to see soldiers without vision to take charge of the affairs of our dear country. We will not also hesitate to condemn any attempt that will jeopardize the judicial process. The issues discussed on GRTS should have been better handled by the courts and not Jammeh. The truth will be known sooner or later. We rest our case….
Posted on Monday, March 27, 2006 (Archive on Wednesday, April 26, 2006)
Posted by PANDERRYMBAI Contributed by PANDERRYMBAI
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