By Sarjo Brito
TRRC Lead Counsel Essa Faal during today’s sitting, interrogated the ranks and promotions of former Chief of Defence Staff Lang Tombong Tambia during his time in The Gambia Armed Forces. Faal described Tamba’s ranks and promotions as ‘very rapid’ by every standard.
“During all this period of lengthy service in the Army, you received a number of medals and awards, and a number of citations. You got promoted to Second Lieutenant in 1992, lieutenant in 1993, Captain in 1995, Major in 2001, Lieutenant Colonel in 2004, Colonel in 2006, Brigadier General in 2007 and soon after that you became Major General in 2008, and 2009 you became Lieutenant General. This is super rapid promotions. In fact, from Major in 2001 and by 2009 you are Lieutenant General. I do not know military ranking very well, but that rank will be just below field Marshall, which does not exist. I raise this to show that you had very rapid promotions by every standard,” Essa Faal said.
Tamba fired back telling the Lead Counsel that the records are there for anyone to see.
“You can say so but in military, there are certain occasions where people are awarded for their hard work. And during my tenure in the Gambia Armed forces and during the period that you have mentioned when I was promoted from Brigadier General, Major General to Lieutenant General, I think the records are there to speak for themselves,” Tamba said.
Retired General Lang Tombong served as the nation’s top military official until 2009 when he was arrested and jailed for treason by former President Yahya Jammeh.
