By Adama Makasuba
The family of Ousman Koro Ceesay has said despite having gone through some process of forgiveness for the past 23 years they still expect justice will be served for their loved one.
Mr Ceesay was a high-flying state minister in a military council headed by Yahya Jammeh that ruled the country following a coup in 1994, but the former finance minister was allegedly bludgeoned in cold-blood by a group of soldiers in fellow minister Yankuba Touray’s house. The incident happened in June 1995.
The TRRC, an investigation set up to delve into the human rights violations under Jammeh has gathered evidence from several witnesses former AFPRC junta council leaders of Edward Singhatey and Yankuba Touray killed Koro Ceesay in a murder incident that took place in the latter’s house in Kololi.
The TRRC’s mettle was tested in June this year for the first time, when Yankuba Touray appeared before the probe and refused to testify on Koro’s death and other matters of human rights violations prompting the investigation to order for his arrest.
On Monday, Edward Singhatey also appeared before the TRRC but dismissed accusations he has a hand in Koro Ceesay’s death, a development that has shocked many. Singhatey said he was not at Yankuba Touray’s house the night the murder took place.
The late former minister’s family in a news conference held in Faji Kunda today said they believe justice will be served and ‘we continue to thank the Gambian people for their unwavering support.’
Dr Naffie Ceesay who spoke on behalf of the family said the legacy of her brother is ‘about service, uplifting and making a difference.’
She added her family has been wondering about what they would do or say to the killers of Koro but that ‘all we feel is just sadness because true power is not about big guns and terrorizing innocent citizens.’
The news conference comes a day after Edward Singhateh and Sana Sabally met to end a longstanding bad blood that existed between the two former military officers.
