Nine former officers of the defunct National Intelligence Agency have been charged with conspiracy to murder Solo Sandeng, the former National Organising Secretary of the United Democratic Party.
The nine suspects include Yankuba Badjie, ex-Director General of the NIA. Others are Louis Gomez, former deputy Director; Saikou Omar Jeng, former Director of Operations; Haruna Suso, Yusupha Jammeh, Lamin Lang Sanyang, Tamba Masireh, Lamin Darboe and Baboucarr Sallah.
The men have been in detention until their court appearance at the Banjul Magistrates’ Court.
Court documents show that “Yankuba Badjie and eight other on or about 15th day of April 2015, at the NIA headquarters in the city of Banjul in the republic of Gambia, conspired amongst themselves and took part in the murder of one Solo Sandeng thereby committed an offense.”
They have all been remanded pending their trial.
It could be recalled that Solo Sandeng and dozen others were arrested, detained and tortured for holding a peaceful demonstration in April last year calling for electoral reforms. Sandeng, father of 11, died while other demonstrators were slapped with imprisonment. Some of the have not recovered from the pains of torture and rape.
Ends
His gruesome kiling was, by far, the singular catalyst for my awakening from paralysis. His selfless sacrifice awaken in me the philosophical question of being. What does my comfortable life mean when a fellow family man and my own blood (relationship as a fellow country man) can be dragged away and killed in a broad daylight? I said to myself that is too much. I must wake up or die in sorrow. It is so painful! My heart criez out for his children everyday.
Of course knowing that countless fellow country men and women met the same fate. This is the beginning.
This is the first step towards justice. Justice must be done. Yankuba Badgie and his team were fully responsible for the murder and torture of UDP peaceful protesters
They should all face the consequences of their actions. More cases to follow and each one of them will be fully investigated. All victims’ family should also be compensated for their pain and suffering.
Justice shall be served.
The charges seem so few. They should throw the book at these people.
Now the work for Community Cleansing begins in earnest; the ensuring of peaceful coexistence & harmonious societal cohesion resides in justice & judicious redress for the inhumanity & economic crimes committed under the MURDEROUS OPPRESSIVE kanilai FIEFDOM…
It’s time the government now recall Edward Killer DEVIL Singateh (if not recalled already), a MURDEROUS CRIMINAL equally with blood soaked hands from so-called “representing” Gambia in ECOWAS, & ALL & ANY other person/s of interests, to all come & face the TRUTH & Reconciliation process…
“When one sows maize on farm; one can & will ONLY (expect to) reap maize & NOT groundnut” in the stead…
This Commissions are the only much needed remedial therapy necessary for the communal healing salvation; to be able to move on collectively as a people to genuine & truthful reconciliation phase…
Meanwhile we all can (must) brace ourselves for the HORRORS yet to be surfaced perpetrated by Barbaric Criminals for the past 22 years…
Long live the Gambia…
People should be held responsible for their actions and holding these officials to account is very important, not only for our reconciliation attempts, but also to send the clear message that the day of reckoning will always arrive.
Let’s allow the due process of the law to take its course. We must exercise restraint and remember that due process also requires that cases before the courts do not become matters of public discussions, and that the defendants are presumed innocent of all charges until proven guilty.
The government should be commended for prioritising prosecutions of alleged human rights abuses. I hope the same urgency is given to all other alleged crimes against The Gambia, especially financial crimes. Those who benefitted directly from Jammeh’s embezzlement of state funds (as revealed by Finance Minister and reported by Reuters), as well as those who flouted the rules to make this possible, should all be held responsible.
Officials at the SSHFC, the Jammeh Foundation and the various banks had the duty to inform the people of what was happening, either under their watch or with their knowledge. They failed, not only to do so, but were actively conniving with him. This should be punishable under the laws and it must be punished.