Essa Faal pressed Malamin Ceesay prompting the former top police officer to agree to lying over a report he authored.
Ceesay headed a panel that dived into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of scores of West African migrants who were apparently killed on the orders of former President Yahya Jammeh.
In their report, Ceesay who is retired now and his team of investigators said in one instance that the ‘eight African bodies were discovered at Brufut’ but the ‘panel could not link the bodies to any specific nationality as there were no identification documents found on them’.
“That’s a lie?” Essa Faal asked him on Monday.
Replying, Ceesay said: “Yes it is.”
During his testimony before the TRRC, Ceesay said it was the panel that authored the report.
“It’s a panel,” he said but Essa Faal fired back that he was the head of the panel.
“This is a panel investigation report and I was not present during the arrest,” Ceesay maintained.
“My friend all of you who signed this document, you have decided to lie. All of you lied,” Essa Faal told him.
In replying, Ceesay said: “Yes.”
Essa Faal then said: “These Ghanaians were arrested in Barra and all of you knew that. By putting your signature on this document, all of you have decided to lie.”
“Yes, that’s true,” Ceesay responded.
“So if the panel lied, it means you also lied?” Essa Faal asked.
“Yes, I agree,” Ceesay said.
“In fact that would make you the head of the liars because all of you would be liars on the basis of this document?” Essa Faal asked further.
“Yes, I agree,” the witness said.
