Halifa Sallah has told a political debate that the former lead counsel of TRRC, Essa Faal, prosecuted him for going against the military coup led by former president Yahya Jammeh.

Sallah’s blunt remarks came after Faal dismissed his health policy ideology and described them as “dogmatic and unnecessary”.

He has promised to build health centres in every village across the country under a PDOIS government. 

“Since my colleague preferred to be unfair, I must save him. This my colleague prosecuted me in 1994 whiles I was struggling aginst a coup,” the lawmaker and presidential candidate said. 

“They [AFPRC regime] said: I violated Decree number 4 which banned all political parties from issuing any political statement. I am what the dictator believing in centralising power. I said it and he heard that this is a country with a constitution nobody can become a president and violate that constitution.” he added.

However, Essa Faal, refused prosecuting Sallah saying he had newly graduated from law school and was serving as a briefcase holder for one of the lawyers at the law chambers at the high court then.

“I am surprised at the personal attack on me by senior Halifa Sallah, maybe he misunderstood the role of a prosecutor and the role of a clerk. 

“When Mr Sallah was prosecuted, I had just come to the country, I was not a lawyer. I was just holding a briefcase for one of the lawyers in the office,” Faal said. 

Reporting by Adama Makasuba