WARNING: This is Version 1 of my old archive, so Photos will NOT work and many links will NOT work. But you can find articles by searching on the Titles. There is a lot of information in this archive. Use the SEARCH BAR at the top right. Prior to December 2012; I was a pro-Christian type of Conservative. I was unaware of the mass of Jewish lies in history, especially the lies regarding WW2 and Hitler. So in here you will find pro-Jewish and pro-Israel material. I was definitely WRONG about the Boeremag and Janusz Walus. They were for real.
Original Post Date: 2010-08-01 Time: 21:00:01 Posted By: News Poster
By Sanna Jawara and Sidiq Asemota
Major Momodou Alieu Bah, an army officer at the Defence Headquarters in Banjul, Tuesday July 27th 2010, told the Special Criminal Court presided over by Justice J.E Ikpala that sometime in the year 2006, he told the first accused, Lang Tombong Tamba the former chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of the Gambia Armed Forces (GAF) about the attempted coup plot led by Colonel Ndure Cham, but unfortunately Lang Tombong did not react to this statement.
“My lord, Colonel Ndure Cham invited me into his office, where he explained to me about his intention to overthrow the democratically elected government of President Jammeh. When I left the office of Colonel Ndure Cham, I met Modou Jatta, orderly to Lang Tombong Tamba; I told him I wanted to see Lang Tombong. I went into the office of Lang Tombong, where I explained to him what Ndure Cham told me about the coup plot, but unfortunately Lang Tombong told me such a statement is not true and such could not happen, he described my statement as false,” Major M.A Bah told the court.
Major M.A Bah, who served as the first prosecution witness (PW1) made this revelation as part of his evidence in the ongoing four count criminal charges of conspiracy and conspiracy to commit treason in 2006, filed in by the state against Lang Tombong Tamba and the former chief of Naval Staff, Sarjo Fofana, who also was the president of the Court Martial conducted at the Yundum Military Barracks in the year 2006, where 10 military officers of GAF were charged and tried for the foiled coup led by Colonel Ndure Cham.
M.A Bah was himself among the 10 military officers charged and tried at the said court martial, and was later convicted and sentenced to 25 years imprisonment. The witness disclosed that he knows Colonel Ndure Cham, the then CDS of the GAF and Lang Tombong.He narrated that sometime in March 2006, the then CDS, Colonel Ndure Cham called him into his office and told him of his intention to overthrow the democratically elected government led by the President, Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya AJJ Jammeh.
The witness further narrated that he was amazed when he was told about the plan and he quickly informed the then CDS, Colonel Ndure Cham that he was not going to take part in the said plan left the office.Major Bah said on his way back to his office from Colonel Ndure Cham’s office, he met Modou Jatta, the orderly of the first accused, Lang Tombong Tamba, whom he told that Colonel Ndure Cham was not loyal to the government and something has to be done.
The witness further said he then instructed the firstt accused orderly, to inform Lang Tombong Tamba that he wanted to see him.At this juncture, defence counsel Sheriff Marie Tambedou raised an objection, noting that the witness cannot give evidence as to whether the then orderly to the first accused, Modou Jatta, informed him [Lang Tombong Tamba] that he wanted to see him without first adducing evidence that Modou Jatta told him that he had done so.
Sheriff Tambedou submitted that evidence that Modou Jatta informed the first accused that he (the witness) wanted to see him improper and ought not be allowed.DDPP, Mikailu Abdulahi in his reply advanced that the defence objection is unfounded and noted that the question raised was a follow up question to the evidence from the witness.He cited section 19 (b) of the evidence Act and urged the court to overrule the defence objection.
In his ruling, the presiding Judge, Justice JE Ikpala pointed out that the question is proper, because it is the witness that can tell the court what transpired between him, the first accused person and his orderly, Modou Jatta.Continuing his evidence, Major MA Bah contended that after a while, the first accused orderly, Modou Jatta came to his office, called him and asked him to answer to Lang Tombong Tamba in his office.
Major Bah stated that when he informed the first accused, Lang Tombong tamba about Colonel Ndure ChamÂ’s intention to overthrow the government, he was embarrassed when the first accused told him that he was crazy and that all that he was talking about was nonsense.”The first accused, Lang Tombong Tamba, warned me to watch my tongue,” he added.
He said he left the first accused office and thereafter he called 2nd Lieutenant Lamin BO Badjie who was the then director of Intelligence of GAF at the Defence Headquarters and informed him of what transpired between him, the first accused Lang Tombong Tamba and Colonel Ndure Cham.The witness said BO Badjie however advised him to be quiet and he was going to find out.
The witness further said he also contacted one Lieutenant Solomon Jammeh of the Farafenni Military Barracks and informed him about his ordeal with Colonel Ndure Cham, Lang Tombong Tamba and BO Badjie, but the said Lt Solomon Jammeh informed him that he was already aware, as one of his intelligence operatives had already informed him at Farafenni.
Major Bah’s arrest on the 21st of March 2006
Major MA Bah told the court that after he closed from work, whilst he was at his home in Lamin Village, Kombo North District of Western Region at about 4.00am in the early hours of the 21st of March 2006, some military officers came to his residence saying that they were ordered to come and arrest him.
The witness explained that before his arrest at about 4.00am something transpired between him the first accused, Lang Tombong Tamba and his orderly, Modou Jatta.The witness further explained that at about 2.00am, Modou Jatta, the orderly to the first accused, called him on his phone, saying, “Oga what you said is right,” and that the first accused, Lang Tombong Tamba wanted to speak to him. He said he then called the first accused, but the little credit on his phone got exhausted.
PW1 revealed that the first accused then called him and as he answered the call he told him [first accused] that this was what he was telling him about, but the first accused never took him serious. At this juncture, Lawyer Tambedou objected to the witness giving such evidence, noting that the said evidence was not contained in the summary of evidence of witnesses supplied (given) to the defence. Lawyer Tambedou urged the court to order the prosecution to amend the summary of evidence and supply the defence with more information.
Concerning the evidence contained in the summary of witness statements.DDPP, Mikailu Abdulahi in his rejoinder cited section 175 B(6) of the CPC to buttress the prosecution point of supplying the defence summary of witness statements.DDPP contended that the witness is not expected to be limited by the summary of evidence before the court.
DDPP noted that the evidence of the witness is relevant in the charge before the court and therefore urged the court to overrule the defence objection.In his ruling, Justice Ikpala pointed out that the summary of witness statement is not intended to be exhaustive as contained in section 175 B (b) of the CPC and he therefore finds the defence objection improper and order the witness, Major Bah to continue his testimony.
The witness said as soon as he finished speaking to the first accused, he [first accused] expressed regret noting that what has happened has happened and he hung up.The witness revealed that at about 4:00am, he was arrested by some military officers and taken to Mile II Central Prisons and detained. Major Bah said he was later charged with the offence of concealment of treason before a Court Marshall at the Yundum Military Barracks.
The witness contended that he denied the said allegation at the Court Marshall because he did not conceal anything as he had earlier revealed everything he knew about the alleged coup to both the first accused, Lang Tombong Tamba, BO Badjie and Lt. Solomon Jammeh.The witness maintained that the attempted coup took place on the 21st of March 2006 and at the Court Marshall he intended to call Solomon Jammeh to testify on his behalf as a witness, but the said Solomon Jammeh told him that there was no need for him to testify as his witness.
The witness further said even his defence counsel, Lamin Camara at the Court Marshall can attest to the fact that he intended to call Lt. Solomon Jammeh to testify as a witness.He disclosed that during the Court Marshall, BO Badjie called him through one Modou Sanyang, a military escort and when he told BO Badjie of his intention to call Lt. Solomon Jammeh as witness, discouraged him from calling the said Lt. Solomon Jammeh as his witness.
“Bo Badjie told me that there was no need for me to call witnesses in my defence and he said that the first accused, Lang Tombong Tamba was going to take me out of the case but I was eventually sentenced to 25 years imprisonment”.
Cross-examination by S.M Tambedou
Responding to series of cross-examination questions posed to him by Sherrif Tambedou, counsel for the first accused Lang Tombong Tamba, the military officer cum the PW1 said, he is from Lamin Village in the Western Region and that he knew some of the other military officers from the said village, but denied comments made by the defence counsel that Captain Bunja Darboe hails from Lamin Village.
The PW1 in the case maintained that he met Modou Jatta, orderly of Lang Tombong. The witness insisted that he told Lang Tombong about the coup plot as explained to him by Colonel Ndure Cham. According to the witness, he made a statement in connection to the 2006 coup plot, but he could not remember the date. He accepted making a statement on both the 26th of November 2009 and on the 5th of December 2009 at the NIA as well as on the 1st of June 2010.
M.A Bah, further maintained that, sometime in March 2006, Modou Jatta orderly of the Lang Tombng, called him (Bah) late in the night around 2:00am as a result he (Bah) called the first accused Lang Tombong in the course of the call, he ran out of credit and the first accused called him back. However, the witness said he cannot remember as to whether he mentioned this piece of evidence on the phone conversation at late night in his statement.
When asked as to whether this was the first time for him to give evidence in court, M.A Bah replied in the affirmative, and went on to explain what happened to his defence at the 2006 Court Martial. According to the witness, he was not privileged to give his evidence at the said court martial because his defence counsel advised him not to do so.
When the witness was asked as to why someone charged with concealment of treason did not enter into his defence or call a witness or witnesses to support his case, Major Bah said:”My lord I did not give evidence based on the legal advice given to me by my lawyer and my lord, with regards to the reason why I did not call Modou Jatta, BO Badjie or Solomon Jammeh to come and testify as my witnesses was that, there was no way that I can call Modou Jatta orderly to Lang Tombong Tamba to come and give evidence in the court. BO Badjie at one time in the course of trial at the general court martial, called me through military police line to say that there was no need for me to call any witness to support my case, because the first accused said he was going to help me out.There was another time when Solomon Jammeh came to the premises of the court martial and informed that there was no need for me to call any witness because the first accused was going to help me out.”
He acknowledged that he was convicted and sentenced to serve 25 years imprisonment, but he only served 3 years 8 months in prison. He denied comments of the defence that he (Bah) was angry with the first accused, Lang Tombong Tamba. Major Bah maintained that he is not angry with the first accused, but was disappointed with him.
On why he was released from jail
When the witness was asked as to how come someone who was convicted and sentenced to serve 25 years imprisonment is out of prison and is now a witness in the court, Major Bah said his release was due to the will of God, the Almighty Allah.On whether he was granted presidential pardon and reinstated in the army to the position of a Major, he maintained that his released was due to the will of God.
“I was released from jail, that is all I know and I don’t know who released me from the jail and I don’t know who promoted me to the rank of Major in the army, it was all due to the will of God,” PW1 told the court. He denied allegations by the defence counsel that he was pardoned in order to come and testify in court against the first accused, Lang Tombong.
The witness denied knowing whether the first accused was promoted to the rank of CDS of GAF on the 22nd of March 2006, with respect to his role in foiling the 21st March 2006 coup plot led by Colonel Ndure Cham. The witness accepted knowing one Corporal Mbye Gaye and the role the said corporal played in foiling the 21st March 2006 coup plot. He revealed that the number of accused persons were 10 but he was not aware of any witness who gave evidence implicating the first accused at the court martial.
Further responding to questions posed to him by the defence counsel, M.A Bah said he believed that Solomon Jammeh and BO Badjie convinced him not to give evidence or call witnesses to support his case at the court martial, on the ground that the first accused will help him out. The witness insisted that Ndure Cham told him about a coup plot and that he informed the first accused Lang Tombong; and BO Badjie, the then head of the Military Intelligence at the Defence Headquarters in Banjul
Original date published: 28 July 2010
Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201007300279.html?viewall=1