By: Adama Makasuba
A Warrant Officer Class 1 Alieu Jeng has accepted telling false testimony before the Truth Reconciliation and Reparation Commission on Thursday after hours of denial of his role in gross human rights crimes.
The Army Officer has been accused by other witnesses for committing serious rights crimes and abuses under the former president Yahya Jammeh.
At the beginning of his testimony, Jeng out rightly denied his role in any human rights crime like killing, saying his role was to watch over their operational vehicle.
But when a statement taken by the Police in 2017 was read to him by the lead Counsel Essa Faal, Jeng finally accepted of telling false testimony before the Truth Commission.
“I lied but I don’t choose to lie…yes I agreed I lied,” he confessed telling false testimony before the Commission.
The lead Counsel Essa Faal again warned him of breaking the rule of the Truth Commission and warned him that if he continue to give false testimony that he will ask the Commission to” send him to jail.”
“You lied…if you lie again I will ask the Commission to send you to jail,” lead Counsel Essa Faal told the witness. Giving false testimony (perjury) before the Truth Reconciliation and Reparation Commission is a punishable offence.
Months back, a witness Lamin Senghore alias Assassin was charged for giving false testimony before the Reconciliation and Reparation Commission after he was found committing a perjury.
Meanwhile, Mr Alieu Jeng confessed his role in the gruesome death of journalist Deyda Hydara and another civilian Dawda Nyassi both of which he denied at the beginning of his testimony.
He asked for forgiveness from the families of the death and Gambians saying he didn’t receive any compensation for the killings.
Meanwhile, Jeng is expected to appear again before the Commission on Monday, 19 of August, 2019 at 10:00 am.
