Gambian Coup Suspect Reveals NIA Brutality

Says he was beaten and kicked

Foroyaa Newspaper, Banjul: Marabout Hamadi Sowe, who is standing trial for “concealment of treason,” in connection with the 21st March, 2006, coup plot against President Jammeh, on Monday 30 March opened his defence in the “Voire dive” (trial within trial), after spending 3 years in detention due to a protracted legal wrangling concerning his case. Mr. Sowe alleged that he was severely tortured by the soldiers that arrested him.

Testifying before Justice Joseph Wowo of the Banjul High Court, Sowe said he was arrested at his home at Ebo Town on the night of 29 March, 2006 at around 10:30pm. Sowe stated that 6 soldiers came into his house armed with guns, sticks and whips and asked for the owner of the compound, Cherno Barry.

He said he told them that he is in Senegal. He said he was handcuffed and they started to beat him with sticks and whips. He added that he was taken straight to mile 2 prisons. He indicated that he was later taken to the NIA office at around 12 midnight.

He noted that at the NIA, he was dropped in the midst of soldiers who started to beat him indiscriminately. He said those that beat him were armed with sticks, whips, guns and knives. He noted that the beating was done in the court yard (large area) with so many soldiers present.

Marabout Sowe pointed out that at around 3 am, he was taken upstairs in a big sitting room together with other people. He asserted that he was subjected to questioning and he denied knowing any thing about the matter. He posited that one Captain Musa Jammeh told him that he knew something about the matter because of the fact that the owner of the compound, Marabout Cherno Barry, knew something about the matter that he (Sowe) should also knew about it. He added that he told them that he was only taking care of the compound for Cherno Barry with his family.

“One Demba Sowe and Hydara started questioning me. I told them to call all the people that they have arrested and see if any knew me. Captain Musa Jammeh told me you are lying. He pulled out a pistol and stuck it in my mouth thereby breaking my teeth. He told me you are lying and your Marabout cannot do any thing about it. I will lock you up. Musa Jammeh told me if they could not get the Marabout, but gets me, means they got him (Cherno Barry). Musa asked me whether I knew Alieu Jobe and I told him he used to come to the Marabout but I do not know what was between them,” added Sowe.

Going further, Sowe indicated that he was taken from one small office to another and was ordered to thumb print on an empty piece of paper without any writings on it.
Sowe said, “At Mile 2, I was questioned again on whether I have accepted what they accused me of and I replied in the negative. Musa Jammeh told me, remember what we did to you yesterday. If you do not comply, we will kill you. I then accepted and thumb print on the paper because I was afraid that they will take me back and beat me up,” said Sowe.

Marabout Sowe indicated that when he was making his voluntary statement, there was no independent witness and that he does not know any Babou Loum. He said he knew Sainey Ndure at the NIA as the one who obtained a statement from him and even went to the point of telling them to release him as he did not know any thing about the mater; that the Marabout who knew about it is at large in Senegal. Neneh Cham Chongan, his counsel, reminded him that the independent witness Babou Loum told the court that he (Sowe) was happy when he was signing the statement that the two of them were chatting together. Sowe asked, “How can they accused me of partaking in a coup d’etat and I laughed about that. “I was never in a laughing mood,” said Sowe. He added that if it was not for the severe beatings, he would not have signed the statement.

It could be recalled that Marabout Hamadi Sowe, was standing trial alongside Alieu Jobe and others for “treason and concealment of treason”. His trial was separated and was later tried alone. In late 2006, the State Counsel Mrs. Marley Wood informed the court about the state’s intention to discontinue with the case. In another sitting, Mrs. Wood told the court that they were unable to file in the motion for the discontinuation of the case. Since then, Sowe is incarcerated by the authorities, and it was in June 2008, when the trial re-commenced before Justice M.M (Yamoa) Ageyemang of the High Court