By Fatou Sowe
Baba Danso an officer of the former national intelligence agency (NIA) now SIS Monday told the high court in Banjul presided over by Justice Kumba Sillah Camara that he escorted Solo Sandeng and four others to the NIA headquarters in Banjul on the instructions of Saikou Omar Jeng the 3rd accused person in the Solo Sandeng murder trial.
Danso made this statement while giving evidence as the 5th prosecution witness in the trial. He told the court that he has been working for the NIA for the past 20 years and as at April 24, 2016, he was the officer commanding political unit and his responsibilities revolved around political and union issues.
He went on to narrate that on the said day while going home he found some people at Westfield talking about the arrest of Solo Sandeng and co, so he asked where they were taken and he was told that they were at the PIU headquarters in Kanifing. He added that he decided to go there with some security officers and upon arrival he went to the PIU commander’s office after which Yankuba Badjie the 1st accused came in to the said office.
He said shortly after that Solo Sandeng and 4 others were brought out and put on board two NIA pickups and the 3rd accused person (Saikou Omar Jeng) who was the director of operations escorted them to Banjul and handed them over to the then deputy director general Louise Gomez (the 2nd accused person).
At the NIA, he said they found James Mendy the man in charge of physical security who made a phone call to the 2nd accused and told him (PW5) that the 2nd accused said he should hand Solo and the group to him (James), adding that after doing that he left the NIA and headed back to PIU to hand over the pickups after which he went home.
Testifying earlier sergeant Saidou Jallow who also testified as the fourth prosecution witness in the trial informed the court during Monday’s hearing that he is a PIU officer stationed at the PIU headquarters in Kanifing.
He said on April 14, 2015, he was on duties and while at the front view of the barracks he saw a police truck carrying some people into the campus. He disclosed that he later knew that they were the UDP protesters, adding that they (the protesters) were taken to the PIU hall and their names were taken by one sub inspector D O Samba Bah who brought the list for him to type.
He informed the court that at that material time the former inspector general of police Yankuba Sonko, the 1st accused Yankuba Badjie, deputy CMC Sarr and superintendent Fakebba were all present at the PIU Kanifing offices.
“As I was in my office, my junior man Lamin Saidy came and told me that 5 out of those arrested have been taken to the NIA headquarters in Banjul by NIA officials.” He said, but this piece of evidence was objected to by Lawyer C E Mene the defence counsel for the 1st accused person on the basis that it is a hearsay and the court overruled the objection.
PW4 further testified that out of the 5 taken to NIA he could only remember the name of 4, namely, Saderr Secka, Ousman Njie, Nogoi Njie and Ebrima Sandeng. Hearing continues Wednesday.
