By Baba Sillah
State counsel Bafour Jeng yesterday called two military officers as witnesses in the trial of Brigadier Generals Umpa Mendy and Ansumana Tamba before the court martial tribunal at Yundum Barracks.
When the case was mentioned yesterday before the judge advocate, Justice Amina Saho-Ceesay, the state counsel reminded the tribunal about the filing of a notice of additional summary of evidence which she said was in accordance with Section 111 of Armed Forces Disciplinary Act of 1985.
Testifying as a prosecution witness, Lance Corporal Ismaila Bojang testified that he cautioned the accused persons to record their cautionary and voluntary statements in the presence of an independent witness.
He adduced that he knew the two generals, Mendy and Tamba and had worked under them at the State Guard in Banjul. The said statements were applied by the state as exhibits after they were identified by the witness without any objection raised by the defence team.
Next to testify was Captain Ousman Jallow who was part of the delegation that travelled with the family of the former president to Equatorial Guinea along with the two generals.
Captain Jallow testified that he served in the Gambia Armed Forces for 19 years in various capacities upon completion of his military training in 1993.
He confirmed that during his posting at State House, Tamba was the commander while Mendy was a special protection officer.
Captain Jallow claimed that he returned home from Malabo via Mauritania and visited The Gambia Embassy in Nouakchott to inform them that he was part of the delegation that travelled to Malabo with the former president family. Hearing resumes next week.
