A narcotic officer in the criminal trial involving four NIA officials has told the Banjul Magistrates’ Court that Lamin Darboe threatened to shoot him when he attempted to take two nylon bags of suspected drugs from him.
“He hit me on the chest and when I approached Omar Jammeh he pulled out a gun and fired a shot and threatened to shoot me if I attempt to take the nylon bags,” said Lamin Sima, state no 3 witness on Monday
Lamin Darboe, Ebrima Drammeh, Edrissa Jobe and Omar Jammeh all intelligent officers are standing trial on two counts of criminal offences.
The accused persons have sometime in May 2009 at the NIA head office in Banjul allegedly conspired to cause injury to the persons of Lamin Kabou and Lamin Sima at the NIA head office in Banjul.
On count 2, they intently caused grievous bodily harm to Lamin Kabou and Lamin Sima, unlawfully wounded Lamin Kabou and Lamin Sima, by beating them with fist blows, electric cables and metals.
All accused persons denied the allegations.
Sima said he found the accused persons in Brikama Kembujeh after receiving information and directives that there are drug peddlers at the said place.
He said upon arrival, he met the NIA officers and introduced himself to them. He said the 3rd accused insulted him when he demanded the suspected drugs. According to the witness, 3rd accused told him: “This is not your NDEA show and I will not surrender anything.”
Sima added that the officials later left the scene with some people whom they arrested. He said he followed them but the 3rd accused threatened to put him behind bars. He said when he told them that he was doing his work, the officials left with the drugs.
He said they came back within a couple of minutes and took the suspects to NIA headquarters.
He stated that after few days the 2nd accused called him and ordered him to report to NIA but he informed him that he was under somebody’s command and the accused told him, “am here with your boss Bun Sanneh and if you don’t come within a hour, we will arrest you.”
He said he went direct to the NDEA office where he met Bun Sanneh who ordered him to board the vehicle which was full of NIA officers. “When I entered the car I found Lamin Kabou tied and was bleeding. When I asked what was going on Bun ordered me to keep quiet,” he said.
He said when they reached NIA headquarters they beat Kabou with electric wire. “He was shouting and calling Bun Sanneh to come and help him,” the witness testified.
He said Bun and the then Director General of NIA Bo Badjie came out. He said Bo sent them out and Bun said in anger that his officers had no respect for him before he left.
He said when Bun Sanneh, left the officers came back and took him to a small room upstairs and started beating him until he start bleeding from his neck.
“I shouted and told them that I will do whatever they said because I was tired and they say that was just the introduction,” he adduced
He said they tore the statement he wrote as they were not satisfied and later took him to a cell call ‘bambadinka’ where he was detained for almost two hours.
He said he was taken out of the cell after ex-IGP Ensa Badjie’s intervention. He said when he met Ensa Badjie at the conference room, he narrated everything to him. He added that Ensa told him that Bun Sanneh went to his office and told him that his men were taken to NIA and are being tortured
“Ensa told them that it was improper to treat a fellow officer like that,” he said
He said they told Ensa that he was dealing with drug peddlers but when Ensa asked them about the drugs, they said it was fertilizer.
He said he was detained for 28 days and was taken to court but the case was struck out and he was discharged.
The trial continues.
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