Essa Faal blasted Baboucarr Jatta on Wednesday by saying it is disappointing for a man who held high positions in the country to ‘deliberately’ mislead the TRRC.
Faal and Jatta went up against each other for the time third in less than a year as investigations in the human rights violations and abuses of the 22 years rule of former President Yahya Jammeh deepened.
The former army chief had earlier on testified on the November 11 extermination of soldiers accused of plotting of a coup and the April 2000 student killings. Jatta clashed with Faal during these meetings where the latter accused Jatta of being economical with the truth.
On Wednesday, Jatta returned to the probe to testify on the 2005 migrant massacre where at least 44 Ghanaians were brutally killed allegedly on the order of former President Jammeh.
The showdown began with Essa Faal quickly warning Jatta that it was an offence to lie under oath in this country.
“It’s also an offence to provide false or misleading information to the commission,” Faal told him.
He then told him: “I have heard an interview you provide in which you prided yourself for not providing the full information to the commission or to Essa Faal for that matter. Well you weren’t talking to Essa Faal, you were talking to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of the republic of The Gambia I hope you understand that. And it cannot be worn as a badge of honour that you did not provide the full information to the commission. Do you understand that Mr Jatta?”
Jatta replied: “I do. I just felt that I was not been given the opportunity to clarify certain issues before [this commission].”
“Mr Jatta this is not about giving you opportunity, this is you deliberately withholding information knowing that that information was relevant to the inquiry of the commission. Could you apologise to the commission for doing that?,” Faal asked Jatta.
“I’m very sorry. Beginning is always difficult you know,” Jatta replied.
“Mr Jatta that was your second trip to the commission. And the thing is, Mr Jatta you have occupied very senior positions in this country in the past. It is very disappointing that a person of your stature to have occupied such positions would pride himself for misleading the commission,” Essa Faal then told him.
Jatta during his testimony denied any knowledge of the killing of the West African migrants.
