Lamin Waa Juwara, a veteran politician, has told the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) about his ordeal as a political prisoner during the Jammeh regime.

Juwara said he was arrested after the July 22nd 1994 Coup due to his fierce opposition to the military junta. H disclosed that he was arrested with Imam Karamo Touray of Brikama Mosque on trump up charges and taken to Mile Two Prison.

He alleged that on his way to Mile Two Prison, the police vehicle he was travelling on was stopped just before Denton Bridge by Baba Jobe, a former Jammeh enforcer and his Green Boys who were following them on a truck.

“Baba Jobe and his boys attacked us in the police vehicle. When I tried to defend myself, I was severely beaten up. They broke one of  my fingers during the assault.  I heard Baba telling his boys ‘we should just kill him.”

Juwara said he was not killed due to the intervention of some soldiers  and was taken to Mile Two prison after the beating. He pointed out that he was placed on a cell without any medical care.

He described the terrible conditions of the Mile Two prison where the cells had no bed and beddings and prisoners had to sleep on the bare floor. He said he shared the same cell with Imam Touray.  

He told the Commission that Sana Sabally, the former vice chairman of the AFPRC, was  also detained at the Security Wing of Mile Two Prison and that Sana disclosed to him that he was tortured before his detention.  

Juwara suffered several intermittent arrests and imprisonment throughout the 22 years of the Jammeh  regime  and was neither charged nor taken the court.    

He said he was also arrested in 1996 and detained at the Fajara Police Station before he was transferred to the Janjangbureh Prison in the Central River Region.  He said he was placed in solitary confinement and that the conditions of his detention were deplorable.  

Juwara claimed he was tortured at Janjanbureh Prison by Captain Momodou Bojang, the former commissioner of  the Central River Region, who warned him to stay away from politics.

“I was tortured and incurred certain wounds from the beaten. In fact, I was molested. The junta leaders wanted me to stop my opposition and to be  politically inactive. I was concerned with what was happening in the country and dumfounded that a democratic government was overthrown.”

 He admitted writing a letter to ex-President Jammeh while in detention at Janjabureh Prison that resulted in his release.   

Juwara, who later served the Jammeh regime as the minister of Lands and Local Government, said he worked with Jammeh out of political necessity.

The native of Dankunku and veteran politician said Gambians should never allow dictatorship again in the country adding that power lies with the people and not the politicians. He urged unity among Gambians irrespective of tribal and religious differences.