By Landing Ceesay
The First Prosecution Witness (PW1) in the alleged Coup Plotters’ trial told the court that Corporal Sanna Fadera (1st accused) informed him that he wants to overthrow the government.
Four (4) Soldiers and one (1) Police Officer who are accused of an attempted alleged Coup have been charged with 5 counts, including treason.
The five defendants charged and standing trial are; Lance Corporal Sanna Fadera (1st accused) Private Officer, Gibril Darboe (2nd accused) Corporal Ebrima Sannoh (3rd accused), and Corporal Omar Njie (4th accused), Fabakary Jawara (5th accused) who is the Police Officer charged alongside the Soldiers.
The first witness called by the Prosecution was Corporal Bara Touray of the Gambia Armed Forces (GAF). Corporal Touray told the Court that he has been in the Military for about 15 to 16 years now and confirmed to the court that he recognizes the 1st, 4th, and 5th accused persons, and that he knew Lance Sanna Fadera, the 1st accused person from 2013 to 2015 while they were all staying at Yundum Barracks.
Corporal Touray further told the Court that he worked with Corporal Omar Njie, the 4th accused person in the same camp, at the first infant battalion and knew Sub Inspector Fabakary Jawara, the 5th accused person, since when he was a child.
The Deputy Director of Prosecution, Counsel A.M Yusuf, representing the State in the case, asked the witness whether anything had transpired between him and the accused persons 8 months ago.
In response, the witness (Corporal Touray) said something transpired between him, Lance Sanna Fadera (1st accused), and Corporal Omar Njie (4th accused) and went on to tell the court that the 1st accused first met him at Yundum Barracks when he came there to change his beret. It is Corporal Touray’s testimony When Lance Corporal Sanna Fadera changed his beret at the ordinance, he asked Regimented Police that he wanted to see him (Corporal Touray).
“I alighted outside and exchange greetings and walk with him towards the tailoring around the ordinance. He then started explaining his intention to me, that he wanted to overthrow the government of Adama Barrow. I asked him why he wanted to do that. He said because of the presence of ECOMIG, and promotions, and the welfare of the Army is not respected.
“I told him that I cannot tell you anything as of now. He said, don’t worry, I will call you. I asked him, how can you call me when you don’t know my number. He told me he got my dial, Gambia is a small country. I said okay. After that, he did not call until October 2022. He called me and told me that his intention is being made and wanted me to convince soldiers at the Barracks or be part of it,” the witness testified.
Corporal Touray went on to testify that he told the 1st accused (Lance Corporal Sanna Fadera) that he cannot take part in the Coup, and he cannot convince any soldier to be part of it, but went on to tell the 1st accused that before he will do what he wants, let him (the 1st accused) show him the operational plans.
Corporal Touray told the Court that the 1st accused then told him to ask Corporal Omar Njie (the 4th accused) about the operational plans.
“He (Sanna Fadera) called me again. I can’t remember the date. Because I asked him about the operational plans, he said I should see Omar Njie, (the 4th accused). I told him that I will see him. The next day I was sitting at the Quick Reinforcement Unit. I saw Omar passing, I called and told him that Sanna Fadera sent me to you, and he said I should ask you about the Coup operational plans. He (Omar Njie) told me okay, and he told me that he was not having it on him. But if he is closed from work, he will give it to me. He did not give it to me. I decided to text Sanna Fadera because Corporal Njie was running away from me.
“I told him that Omar Njie is not a soldier because you asked him to see me, but he is running away from me. Sanna did not reply or call me until the 18 December 2022 World Cup final day in the morning and told me that they were going for a meeting. He did not tell me the detail of the meeting. When I was watching the World Cup final, he called me again in the evening. He said I told you not to be scared, everything will be okay,” the witness said.
The witness said after that, the 1st accused did not call him again, and they were both arrested on 20 December 2022.
The Prosecution leveled 5 charges against the accused persons, and they are:
Count 1 of the charges; Treason contrary to section 35(1) (a) of the Criminal Code Cap 10:01 Vol 3 Revised Laws of the Gambia 2009.
The Particulars of the Offence: The Prosecutors alleged that L/Cpl Sanna Fadera, P/O Gibril Darboe, Cpl Ebrima Sannoh, S/I Fabakary Jawara and Lamin Jadama (now at large) during the year 2022 at Kafuta village and diverse places in the Gambia within the Jurisdiction of the Honourable Court prepared audio endeavoured to overthrow the Government of the Gambia by unlawful means and thereby committed an offence.
Count 2 of the charges; Treason contrary to section 35 (1) (g) of the Criminal Code Cap 10:01 Vol.3 Revised Laws of the Gambia 2009.
The Particulars of the Offence; the Prosecutors alleged that L/Cpl Sanna Fadera, P/O Gibril Darboe, Cpl Ebrima Sannoh, S/I Fabakary Jawara and Lamin Jadama (now at large) during the year 2022 at diverse places in the Gambia within the Jurisdiction of the Honourable Court agreed amongst themselves to overthrow the Government of the Gambia and thereby committed an offence.
Count 3 of the charges; Concealment of treason contrary to section 36 (a) of the Criminal Code Cap 10:01 Vol 3 Revised Laws of the Gambia 2009.
The Particulars of Offence: the Prosecutors alleged that P/O Gibril Darboe, Cpl Ebrima Sannoh, Cpl Omar Njie and S/I Fabakary Jawara during the year 2022 at diverse places in the Gambia within the Jurisdiction of the Honourable Court knowing that one L/Cpl Sanna Fadera intend to commit treason to wit you failed to report it to a Minister, or a Magistrate or police officer or a member of the Armed Forces and thereby committed an offence.
Count 4 of the charges: Concealment of treason contrary to section 36 (b) of the Criminal Code Cap 10:01 Vol.3 Revised Laws of the Gambia 2009.
The Particulars of Offence; P/O Gibril Darboe, Cpl Ebrima Sanno, Cpl Omar Njie during the year 2022 at diverse places in the Gambia within the Jurisdiction of the Honourable Court knowing that one L/Cpl Sanna Fadera intend to commit treason to wit you did not use other reasonable effort to prevent the commission of the offence and thereby committed an offence.
Count 5 of the charges; Inciting to mutiny contrary to section 40 (c) of the Criminal Code Cap 10:01 Vol.3 Revised Laws of the Gambia 2009.
The Particulars of the Offence; L/Cpl Sanna Fadera during the year 2022 at diverse places in the Gambia within the Jurisdiction of the Honourable Court attempted to incite one SGT Karamo Jatta, and one Cpt Mamat Jobe to commit an act of mutiny and thereby committed an offence.
The case is adjourned to the 16th of February 2023 at 1pm for continuation.