Micheal Sang Correa, an alleged former member of a Gambian death squad
By Buba Gagigo
A court in the United States has agreed to delay the trial of Micheal Sang Correa, an alleged former member of a Gambian death squad under former president Yahya Jammeh. This delay allows his attorney to travel to The Gambia to obtain video recorded testimonies from Momodou Hydara and Alieu Jeng.
According to the Center for Justice and Accountability (CJA), Correa filed two motions with the court last week, indicating his intention to present testimony from Hydara and Jeng at trial.
“Correa claims that this testimony would support his defense that he was coerced and under duress when he allegedly assaulted the individuals listed in the indictment. However, according to Correa, Hydara and Jeng refused to travel to the United States unless the United States government provided them with immunity from prosecution. The United States declined to offer that immunity,” CJA explained.
According to CJA, Correa’s initial motion requested the judge to dismiss the case, arguing that the government was not assisting in securing the attendance of his witnesses. However, the court denied Correa’s motion to dismiss the charges against him.
“Correa’s second motion asked the court to delay the trial while his attorneys travelled to The Gambia to take depositions from Hydara and Jeng. Depositions are a form of video recorded testimony, that can be presented in exceptional circumstances where a witness cannot travel to court. This afternoon, the judge granted Correa’s motion,” CJA stated.