The veteran politician Omar Jallow said Africa has two problems: its people in uniform and intellectuals, as he testified before the Truth Commission on Monday. Jallow, arrested multiple times by former ruler, said he was offered an unspecified job and GMD3 million but rejected it.
Fafa Mbaye, the first justice minister appointed by former president Yahya Jammeh, has told me that they are going to execute me, said Omar Jallow, the 13th witness before the Truth Commission on Monday.
Jallow was an agriculture minister under the former People’s Progressive Party Government who was arrested following the July 22 military takeover by the self-style leader Jammeh.
With dozens other senior Government officials and security heads arrested, Jallow was taken to Mile 2 and then to the headquarters of the National Secret Service now National Intelligence Agency.
“We were lined up in the morning and Fafa Mbaye, that time he was minister of the junta, came to tell us that we have committed crimes and we should have been executed by the junta is remorseful so others will be freed but I will be executed,” said OJ.
OJ said as his friends left him at NSS, some of them were crying and Landing Jallow Sonko left a ‘charm’ in his hands. “I told him pray for me,” he said.
Prior to Mbaye’s visit, he said they were once visited by the junta led by Yahya Jammeh who told them that their Government was involved in rampant corruption.
According to Jallow’s account, Mbaye’s visit was on November 10 and the day of his execution would fall on 11 November.
And on November 11, soldiers themselves have a fell out amidst allegations of counter-coup and over a dozen of them were executed. OJ survived. The veteran politician was arrested several times under the autocratic ruler.
Each time he was arrested, he was tortured and subjected to all forms of degrading treatment. At one point, the veteran politician said he was stripped naked at Mile 2 beaten until there was blood all over his cloth.
“Bubacarr Bah and Almamo Manneh were the people who come to remind us that they were waiting for orders and they were going to cut us into pieces and throw us to dog. Bubacarr Bah he was the one who broke my eye. He is still in the army. The last time I saw him on television, he was referred to as Lieutenant Colonel. Bah beat my hand with a very hard object,” said OJ.
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