Halifa Sallah has accused Essa Faal of being part of those who prosecuted him in 1994 while he was fighting against the coup.
Former President Jammeh overthrew former President Jawara in 1994, suspended the constitution and banned all political activities.
Mr Sallah was leader of PDOIS at the time and spent time fighting for the return of democracy which saw the military come after him.
And casting his mind back to his problems, Mr Sallah disclosed independent presidential candidate Essa Faal was working at the justice ministry at the time and took part in his prosecution.
Mr Sallah said during a debate between him and Essa Faal over the weekend: “This my colleague prosecuted me in 1994 whiles I was struggling against a coup. They said I violated Decree No. 4 which banned all political parties from issuing any political statements. I am what, the dictator believing in centralized power? I said it and he’s heard it that this is a country with a constitution and nobody can become president and violate that constitution. There is a judiciary.
“So how can you bring any system in this country other than the system of the republic? What we’re debating on policy [and] since he cannot deal with the policies, he goes into that common saying that people who have no ideas, who are bankrupt of ideas usually do. That they (Halifa and Co) are communists.”
Essa Faal dismissed Halifa’s accusation’s saying he was only holding a briefcases for the prosecutors in the matter.
But Halifa fired back: “Whether briefcase lawyer or whatever, he was there among those people who were prosecuting me.”
