The Vice Chairman of the former junta in his testimony before the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparation Commission (TRRC) on Thursday said he was buried alive to confessed that he allegedly ‘planned to killed’ Yahya Jammeh.
Sana Bairo Sabally who was the second most powerful council member of the junta at the time said he was arrested with Sadibou Hydara because of their decision to handover to civilian rule after six months as agreed on during the planning and preparation of the coup which all council members including Yahya Jammeh swore to uphold.
Answering questions from the lead counsel, Essa Faal, he said the disagreement within the council started with the setting of National Consultative Commission to gauged public opinion as to the period they should stay in power. He was totally against the venture which did not go well with Jammeh and the others.
He disagreed that he went with pistol to killed Jammeh at his office where he was frozen and tied him with rope which he said was not only a lie but it was the beginning of Jammeh’s mystical delusions.
He said he was trapped by group of soldiers at the corridor after he was called to a meeting at Jammeh’s office. He was arrested by Kalifa Bajinka, Bakary Camara, Musa Jammeh alias ‘Maliamongo’, Manlafi Corr, Batcha Samba Jallow amongst others.
He continued in his testimony that he was stripped naked, handcuffed and also have his legs tied in shackles during his detention at the state central prisons at Mile 2. He said he was put in incommunicado for the nine years he served in jail. He disclosed numbers of torture meted on him and Sadibou Hydara at custody.
“I was buried alive to the neck,” Sana Sabally told the Commission.
The torture team he mentioned are Alagie Martin as head of the torturers who would come with a team like Manlafi Corr, Lamin Senghor, Pa Modou Sarr, Babucarr Bobb, Batch Samba Jallow and one Ndure, TSG personnel to torture them.
“We were put on handcuffs and shackles, head covered with plastic and shoved inside an acidic bucket mixture of kerosene and gas oil,” Sana said.
“All they wanted from me is to accept that I wanted killed Jammeh.”
Sana said their torturers would take them from cells in handcuffs and shackles to torture them at different locations. They tried to force me to eat excretal. They would beat us with hammer. They would always come with tape recorders.
“They forced me and Sadibou to do homosexual act when we refused they hit our tentacle muscles with iron bars,” he said.
“They inserted a metal piece inside my penis.”
Sana B Sabally told the Truth Commission that he would not allow anyone to write his history as far as the July 22 takeover is concern.
Meanwhile, he former junta second in command highlighted on the indignities in the army, corruption and political intolerance under the PPP regime that necessitated the 22 July 1994 takeover.
“I first discussed with 2nd Lt. Edward Singhatey seven months before the takeover,” Sana B Sabally told the Truth Commission.
The former junta vice chairman also mentioned officers like Lt. Sadibou Hydara, Lt. Yahya Jammeh, Major Ndure Cham, Lt. Basiru Barrow, Lt. Alagie Kanteh and Lt. Alfa Kinteh as part of the initial coup plotters but later Major Ndure Cham, Basiru Barrow and Alfa Kinteh had withdrew.
The initial plan was for him to blocked the entrance of the airport whilst Yahya Jammeh and Edward Singhatey were supposed to arrest President Jawara and the entourage at the foot of the aircraft but it failed that prompted them to the next plan which is taking country the country following morning. He was responsible to get the supported weapons, cut off all lines of communications in the country and seized Fajara Barracks.
“Yahya became chairman by virtue of his seniority but it would have been Major Ndure Cham and Basiru Barrow had they stayed”.
The former junta vice chairman though agreed that they have ventured into illegal action to overthrow a democratically elected government but said they were a responsible officer that was the reason there was no bloodshed.
“We all swore to Qur’an with exception of Edward who also swore to Bible that we will spent only six months and handover to civilians,” he told the commission.
He adduced that 2nd Lt. Yankuba Touray was part of the coup since in the beginning but was tasked to delay the troops from Farafenni camp.
Meanwhile, the appearance of former AFPRC junta vice chairman is an achievement for the TRRC.-Source/Credit-The Watch Gambia
