By Isatou Sarr
Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Ebrima Bah, on Tuesday told the court that the police did not conduct a full investigation into a petition against Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Sambujang Fatty, but rather sought to confirm the authorship of the document.
AIG Bah said the decision to summon the suspect was taken after the police received information about the petition. “When we had a suspicion that it was Sambujang Fatty who authored the petition, he was summoned to explain and to confirm whether it was actually him or not,” he said.
During cross-examination, Counsel K. Jallow asked at what point the plaintiff was called regarding the petition. AIG Bah responded that the call was made before Fatty signed the petition.
AIG Bah confirmed that Fatty is answerable to him and also acknowledged knowing Commissioner Samba Jawo, who served as Commissioner for Administration in 2024. “Fatty can report to either me or Commissioner Jawo. I cannot tell whether he was reporting to Commissioner Jawo; that is between them,” AIG Bah said.
The AIG described the Senior Management Team (SMT) meeting where Fatty was confronted. He explained that SMT comprises the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Deputy Inspector General (DIG), and all Assistant Inspectors General of Police, or their delegated commissioners.
When asked about the petition itself, AIG Bah said it was addressed to multiple institutions, including the Office of the President, National Security Council, Minister of Interior, Permanent Secretaries of relevant ministries, and the IGP. He clarified that the police investigation focused only on the police aspect.
AIG Bah said that during the SMT meeting, one of the members noticed Fatty handling two telephones, contrary to instructions, and asked him to leave the devices outside the office. “He refused, and the AIG then asked him to leave the office for disobeying lawful orders,” he said.
Counsel Jallow also questioned the hierarchy of police officers present at the meeting. AIG Bah confirmed that Malang Jaju, then Deputy Commissioner, was senior to Fatty, who was an Assistant Commissioner. Abdou Bojang, a junior officer, was asked to leave before Fatty was questioned.
On the appropriateness of the petition, AIG Bah said it was not wrong for an officer to make a complaint but emphasized that it must follow established channels. “Any complaint against your authority should be channelled to your head of department, which in the case of the police is the IGP,” he said. He added that the Civil Servants’ Code of Conduct applies to police officers, but the police have their own internal code due to the regimentation of the force.
Regarding the outcome, AIG Bah said Fatty submitted a signed petition within an hour after leaving the DIG’s office. The police issued a rebuttal, which, together with the petition, was forwarded to the Office of the President. The President’s Office directed the Prime Minister’s Office to conduct an investigation, which recommended a panel under the Public Service Commission to examine the allegations and rebuttal.
On whether the investigation focused on the content of the petition or Fatty’s conduct, AIG Bah said both were investigated. He identified Exhibit 1 as the “Investigative Report on the Unethical Conduct of DCP Sambujang Fatty.”
