Alagie Kanyi, a former soldier of the Gambia Armed Forces, has testified as the first prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of Yankuba Touray and Fatoumatta Jahumpa Ceesay.

Yankuba Touray is a former council member of the AFPRC junta and government minister. While Fatoumatta Jahumpa Ceesay is a former speaker of the Gambia’s National Assembly during the Jammeh rule.

The two former senior government officials are being charged with conspiracy to commit felony and witness tampering in the ongoing TRRC proceedings. The case is being heard before Justice Aminata Saho-Ceesay at the Banjul High Court.

Alagie Kanyi, who was a witness at the TRRC and a confessed killer, told the court that he received a call from Fatoumatta Jahumpa Ceesay, commonly known as FJC, sometime in January 2019 while on his way to Soma. 

Kanyi said FJC told him that she got his number from Yankuba Touray.

“She (FJC) said Yankuba Touray told her that I was called by the TRRC. She asked me what did the TRRC ask me and I told her that they asked me about the 11 November incident.

“She said to me don’t worry you people are junior officers don’t mind (the TRRC).”

Kanyi said that before these calls, he had never spoken to the FJC, adding that their discussion was only about the TRRC and that there were no discussions aside of the TRRC.

“I even wonder why she called me because I have never had any affair (contact) with her,” the witness said.

Kanyi said he received another call from a man who identified himself as Yankuba Touray. He said the man told him his army regimentation number.

“I told him ‘yes sir’. He told me were you called by these people and I asked which people ‘sir’? He said to me TRRC and I said ‘yes sir’. He (Touray) also told me that he was also called.”  

Kanyi said the Touray asked him whether he was not asked about the incident that happened at his residence.

“I responded not yet. He told me ‘don’t mind these people they can do nothing to you. Are we not your commanders? I said ‘yes sir’,” Kanyi said.

He said Yankuba Touray asked him whether FJC called him which he responded in the positive. Kanyi said Touray disclosed to him that he was the one who gave FJC his number.

“He emphasized don’t mind these people they can’t do anything; we are your commanders. They are only here for two years to fuck off from this place. He “ring” (sic) off,” the witness said.

 Kanyi told the court that the incident Yankuba Touray was concerned about was the one involving the late former Finance minister, Koro Ceesay.

He said that the incident was about the murder of Koro Ceesay. He alleged that those who participated in that incident (of murdering Koro Ceesay) were himself, Yankuba Touray, Edward Singhatey, Peter Singhatey, Tumbul Tamba, Pa Alieu Gomez and P.R. Jatta. He said he was with Yankuba Touray from 1986 to July 1994, but not in the same company.

However the defence accused him of lying. Lawyer Sissokho put it to the accused that he lied during his TRRC testimony about the telephone calls he had with Yankuba Touray and FJC

“Which of your testimonies is the truth – is it the one you made before the TRRC or the one you made before this court? At the TRRC you said Yankuba Touray called you and told you ‘not to mind them’ you told the whole Gambia that you slammed the phone from him and now you told the court a different thing,” defence lawyer Sisoho said.

“I can’t remember,” Kanyi replied.

“On your testimony on the 28 February 2019, you did not tell the whole Gambia that you have in fact called the first accused person (Yankuba Touray),” Sisoho said.

“Yes, I did not because I feel that the TRRC and the court are different. I was also not asked,” Kanyi said.

The case was adjourned to Monday the 20 May 2019 for the continuation of cross-examination of prosecution witness, Alagie Kanyi.