Edward Singhateh, former vice chairman of the defunct AFPRC Junta, has denied involvement in the assassination of former Finance Minister Ousman Koro Ceesay.

Mr. Singhatey was implicated in the death of the former minister, who died in mysterious circumstances in 1995, soon after seeing off former president Yahya Jammeh at the Banjul International Airport.

The charred body of Koro Ceesay was found in his burnt out official car in Jambur, Kombo South.

Several witnesses to the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) have testified under oath that Edward Singhateh and others including Yankuba Touray allegedly killed the former Finance Minister.

However Edward Singhateh has strenuously denied any involvement in the death of Koro Ceesay.

“Sir, there is so many things wrong with that…. I completely denied Sir,” Singhatey told the TRRC lead counsel Essa Faal on Monday during his testimony.

Mr. Singhateh said he went home after seeing off former president Yahaya Jammeh at the airport, adding “I didn’t drop off at Yankuba Touray’s house. Sir I would believe he is mistaken.”

He denied going to Yankuba Touray’s house the day Ousman Koro Ceesay was killed, saying “ Sir they are mistaken (it’s) not that night. Sir you can repeat it 100 times I’ll still maintain my position it’s not that night.”

He said he last saw Mr Koro Ceesay at the airport when they went to see off former president Yahya Jammeh, adding that he was informed the following day by the then Secretary General, Mustapha Wadda, that Ousman Koro Ceesay had died.

Mr. Singhateh also denied the allegation that he made threat to kill Ousman Koro Ceesay saying “there is no truth in that…there is no single truth in that, the council didn’t hide any information from him”.

He said civilians believed that Ousman Koro Ceesay was killed by the junta, “because Dippa Kunda (where Koro was from) was a stronghold of the PPP party and that a postmoterm was later conducted”.

He said there was some money sent from Libya which “Jammeh wanted to give some of the money to the rebel of Casamance as Gambia and Senegal had a border feud”, adding that “Ousman Koro Ceesay tried to convince Jammeh for him to return to (negotiations) with Senegal.

He said the junta relied heavily on the late Ousman Koro Ceesay as their Finance Minister for his expertise.

Reporting by Adama Makasuba