Former bodyguard to Sabally admits to torturing one

30th witness before the Commission testified that Sanna Sabally’s escort did torture people who are found to have obstructed his convoy or did not leave the road fast enough as he passed.

A former bodyguard to ex Junta member Sanna Sabally has admitted to participating in torturing a person who allegedly insulted former President Yahya Jammeh when he was chairman of the Armed Provisional Ruling Council.

Then private soldier, John Charles Mendy, said they took one Dola Bah to Sanna’s office and subjected him to military punishment.

Bah who was arrested by the police and kept at Serrekunda Police Station was allegedly using a telephone booth to insult Jammeh.

Mendy said they forced the man to crawl and subject him to other forms of military punishment. He however denied involvement in punishing any other individual.

He though admitted he was aware of 8 other incidents where people are suspected to have been beaten but he did not participate and in most cases, cannot also confirm.

Sanna’s bodyguards on his convoy have reportedly beaten a lot of people and shot their vehicle tyre.

“I was with Council members when OJ and other political detainees were forced to give some information… It was in Mile 2 around the Remand Wing,” Mendy said but he denied being part of a team torturing them.

In his earlier testimonies, OJ said he was beaten at Mile 2 by the bodyguards of the Junta members but Mendy said he did not witness that.

Mendy, who was the second TRRC witness on Monday, continues his testimony on Tuesday.  Meanwhile, the 29th witness before the Commission, was an Army Warrant Officer Class 1, Malang F.S. Camara.

Camara appeared to give details of how soldiers accused of taking part in the 11 November 1994 alleged coup plot were summarily executed.

Camara said he was a witness to the killings though he was not part of it.