“My world was crashed”–Witness Tells TRRC

Abdou M. Deen, former Principal Budget Officer, has told the Truth Commission his world was crashed when he was mentioned in the 2006 Abortive coup.

The former Principal Budget Officer was a close confidant of Alieu Jobe, former Accountant General who was related to Colonel Ndure Cham, the leader of the 2006 Abortive coup. Mr Jobe would have been the President had the coup succeeded.

Appearing before the Truth Commission on Thursday, Mr Deen claimed his name was leaked on a state television while he was attending a conference in Guinea Bissau. He was named by a marabout linked to the abortive coup.

According to him, the marabout told them that he had seen the former President Yahya Jammeh riding a bicycle in a dream which he interpreted as the end of his regime.

“My whole world crashed when I heard the marabout, Sereinge Faal has stated on television that I introduced him to Alieu Jobe,” Abdou Deen stated.

The former Primcipal Budget Officer said he never thought it would reach to the stage of asking for the name of the marabout and the person that was a link between the marabout and Alieu Jobe, the would-be President of the abortive coup.

“I was thinking about my own safety and what to do next,” he said.

The witness said he sneaked out of the conference room and took a taxi to the airport where he saw the former CDS Babucarr Jatta and former Local Government Minister, Yankuba Touray alighted from Air Senegal, walking toward the terminal. He later learned that they came with Guinean soldiers who were fully armed searching for him at the conference.

“My informant at State House said he heard Yahya Jammeh instructing Yankuba Touray and Babucarr Jatta to have me arrested, tied and transported in cargo to him,” he remarked.

The witness who provided detail accounts of his ordeal with family in exile, told the Commission his vehicles were taken by the National Intelligence Agency NIA officials. He also complained about the intrusion of his landed property.