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Tortured former minister’s TV appearance he wasn’t aware of

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The torture of Amadou Sanneh at National Intelligence Agency has left the lower end of his spinal cord ‘displaced’

A former Gambian finance and trade minister who allegedly endured severe torture at the notorious National Intelligence Agency has told the Truth Commission on Tuesday that he was not aware of his television appearance.

Sanneh was charged with sedition for reportedly writing an affidavit supporting someone who claims his life was threatened in Gambia.

The Gambia Government said Sanneh made up the story and NIA have asked him to apologise to former dictator Yahya Jammeh.

He refused. However, Sanneh said he was tortured and made to confess on GRTS while he was unconscious.

“I did not recollect my appearances on GRTS… I was unconscious. I never remembered giving an interview to GRTS,” said Sanneh after he was played his video.

He said he made a deliberate effort not to watch his confession video even after he was released.

Sanneh was arrested several times as a member of the United Democratic Party and in some occasions he reportedly suffered gruesome torture.

A professional accountant, Amadou has resign from Government after holding the positions of Accountant General and permanent secretary at Trade Ministry. He then went to private practice in 1996 and joined the UDP where he became their treasurer.

He said the torture has displaced the lower end of his spinal cord, a health complications he went to Germany to treat.

“All they (NIA) wanted was to please their dictator… They did not care about whether it (their actions) cost us our lives,” said Sanneh.

Amadou was sentenced to 3 years in jail and he was pardoned in 2016 by President Adama Barrow.

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