By Mafugi Ceesay
Fatou Camara, the 27th prosecution witness in the trial of 9 NIA officials yesterday told the High Court in Banjul that the former Mayor of KM Yankuba Colley has described the UDP April 14 protesters as coup plotters.
Testifying before Justice Kumba-Sillah-Camara, the witness who was among the protesters recalled that while they were detained at the PIU headquarters, they happened to meet the former IGP and former Mayor of KMC in the premises.
Camara said they were asked to lineup in the sun and after a while a man dressed in white police uniform came and ordered for them to be taken to a cell instead.
She said at this point they were escorted to a big hall where Mayor Colley and IGP Sonko came and met them. “At this juncture a man told Mayor Colley that since the incident happened in his municipality, they should negotiate and release the accused persons. But Mayor Colley did not respond but went into one office, and upon his return IGP Sonko asked him whether they should go by what the man said but Mayor Colley replied that the minister said they are coup plotters and should not be released but be taken to the Mile II Central prisons,” the witness said.
She said at this point they were loaded in a truck and taken to Mile II where upon arrival the Prison head David Colley and his team were waiting for them. She said one prison officer, identified as Ma, observed that she was well dressed and asked her where she was going and when she replied that she was going to a ceremony, she ordered for her release but that was rejected by another man in uniform.
She said later that night she and her fellow detainees were escorted to the NIA headquarters in Banjul in a Pickup car.
The witness told a crowded court that upon arrival at the NIA, they were taken into an office where they were interviewed and during that process a man came in and insulted and kicked the seat she was sitting on. She said the seat injured the late Lang Marong.
The trial continues.
