A witness before the Truth, Reparation and Reconciliation Commission (TRRC) who was jailed for 9 years without trial has been given D175, 000 and a plot of land on Thursday to rebuild his life.
Mafugie Sonko, a private Gambian soldier who was implicated in the November 11, 1994 planned coup, was jailed for 9 years without a single court appearance.
Sonko, Commission’s 26th witness, was arrested with senior officials such as Lt. Abdoulie Faal and Lt. Basiru Barrow. The two became involved in the batch of soldiers who were later executed.
Sonko was arrested on November 11, 1994 and was released in 2003. He was though being paid his salary but he was later dismissed from the army without following proper procedure and his benefits were not paid to him.
Sonko was the driver who took Lt Dot Faal and his colleagues to Yundum from Fajara. They have found an ambush laid for them by soldiers among them Peter Singhateh and Sanna Sabally.
They were captured and tortured. He said he had no knowledge of any coup and had no idea what was happening.
On Thursday, the 64-year-old Sonko was given a land by the Commission’s Lead Counsel Essa Faal and cash totaling 175, 000 dalasis. The money was raised online was Yunus Hydara.
The land offered by Faal is situated at Sanyang Village. The ceremony was held at the TRRC headquarters at Dunes Resort.
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