By Adama Makasuba
The first female witness to testify before the Truth Reconciliation and Reparation Commission, Kaddy Camara has explained the arrest of her late husband Alagie Mamadi Sabally, a businessman under Jammeh’s regime in 1995.
Madam Camara, a residence of Jarra Soma and second wife to Alagie Mamadi Sabally, said that her husband was arrested in Farafenni upon arrival from Senegal, where he was engaged in compound selling and business by some personnel of Gambia Police Force in mufti cloths who has been coming to their compound many a time in looking for her husband.
She said according to the facts, they heard about her husband’s arrest was an allegation that Saikou Sabally has built a compound and he (Alagie Mamadi Sabally) collected the rent for Saikou Sabally which he took to him in Dakar.
She told the Commission that after the released of her husband in detention then he developed strange sickness. She went on to say that her husband’s body swelled and later on he also developed suffocation.
She further explained that her husband told them that he recognized Dabba Marrena and F. R. Jammeh being part of those who used clippers to break his testicles.
“His body was swollen after his release. We gave him herbs and he urinated all the dark bloods and the swollen subsided and was then able to walk around. He then called on us one day and said to his first wife Mamanding that he begged for our forgiveness because of his current situation he cannot perform his manly function as a husband. They have destroyed my manhood since marriage is between a man and woman,” she stated.
Meanwhile, she lamented that they faced hardship during and after her husband’s arrest and detention, adding that some times they don’t even have food to eat and they did go to bed with empty stomach.
She then said: “We felt hardship but we work hard that was how we were able to take care of the family by then his children were not old enough. Five kids were going to school. Those that were going to Senior Schools were 8. We had shops that were the places where we got our feeding from and also were engaged in buying and selling of land business.”
However, she said that the buying and selling of land business couldn’t continue because when he was arrested his kids couldn’t take charge of the business.
She added that: “At the time of his death their situation did not improve. She said their shops were seized. The chief of Jarra came after them and said that the Area Council has decided to impound the assets. He told them that they have to give bribe for the 4 shops. After 6 months, a messenger came from the chief, saying that the Area Council has impounded their assets.”
Madam. Camara also told the Commission that their shops where they survived from were confiscated from them by the government through the then chief of Jarra Yaya Jarjusey, whom she said asked for a bribe of D8000.
“The Area Council had sold our shops to the Trust Bank, and they were asked to go and detached their corrugated iron sheets over the house, we did just that.” She said.
