By Omar Bah
Corporal Ebrima Colley, who is among four soldiers dismissed by the military on Tuesday for allegedly plotting to assassinate CDS Masanneh Kinteh, has vowed to report GAF to the Ombudsman and the Gambia’s Human Rights Commission for wrongful dismissal.
Corporal Colley was dismissed alongside lance corporals Lamin Sanneh, Ousman Jammeh and Lamin Touray. Their dismissal was recommended by a panel consisting of the Military, SIS and Police Serious Crime Unit.
“I want them to tell me why they dismissed me without any proof after keeping me for over four months in detention,” Colley told The Standard at his Tallinding residence.
Colley, who still has over four years to serve with the military said he will seek for the army to pay him all his entitlements in the contract.
He said his name was not mentioned in the WhatsApp audio that the army claimed was used to discuss a plot to assassinate the CDS.
“The audio was played in the presence of all of us, and my name was never mentioned and my name was not also in the list.
Our case is clear testimony that although Yahya Jammeh is gone every sector in the government is still using his playbook. Nothing has changed.
What was happening under him is still happening now,” he alleged.
Colley said it is sad that even after three years since the change of regime, people are still kept beyond 72 hours without being taken to court.
“We spent one month and two weeks in detention before our families were allowed access to us,” he said.
Corporal Colley, who claims to have served the Gambia army for 13 and half years said President Adama Barrow should stop the dismissals and intimidation of soldiers under his administration, arguing that sacking well trained military officers just like that does not tell well for the security of the country.
“Gambian soldiers are very patient, if not this country would not have been peaceful.
Just imagine with all my training and experience serving the army, I have been dismissed without any justification,” he added.
