By Omar Bah & Aisha Tamba
Salimina Drammeh, a former senior member of the National Intelligence Agency yesterday told the Truth Commission that torture was the culture at the state intelligence agency.
Under inquisitorial questioning from lead counsel Essa Faal, Mr Drammeh stated: “Torture was the order of the day at the NIA. This is why many things went wrong. No security officer will tell you he has never tortured anybody. I am not proud of saying this but that is the truth. I regret all what happened because we were out of line and because of our mistakes some people who are even innocent suffered. So definitely in that part, I regretted everything. I am calling on all Gambians to come together and try to forgive each other.”
He admitted that the NIA used imported sophisticated electrical devices to torture people.
Asked by Faal whether the NIA has tortured more people than what the TRRC has listed, the witness replied: “Counsel, if we sit here to enumerate the number of people who passed through our hands it is too much. That is the hard fact. No security officer throughout the world will tell you he has served his country until he retired without torturing anybody especially when it comes to drug traffickers. No security officer will tell you that.”
At this juncture, the dispirited lead Counsel Faal interjected: “I am ashamed for my country. Sorry. I am really ashamed that we would brutalise one another, castrate a lot of young and able Gambian men, damaging morals both physically and spiritually and we work around the street and pretend nothing has happened. We have done terrible things in this country. What a shame?”
The TRRC chair intervened to ask the witness whether he was sure of what he was saying, and Mr Drammeh replied: “I have worked in The Gambia and I was responsible for the sub-region and the Maghreb. I have also worked with colleagues in France and even America. Like I said 90% of the NIA officers have once tortured somebody. They cannot deny that.”
Mr Drammeh admitted participating in the torture of some street boys in Serekunda, Mballow Kanteh, Omar Joof-Dampha, Sainey Faye and said he witnessed the torture of Ebrima Barrow.
