DEADLINE IS OVER: PART ONE — WHY ESSA FAAL SHOULD BE IN MILE 2

The Daily Observer gave Essa Faal a 72-hour ultimatum to come clean or face the music. Now the deadline is past, and we have no choice but to start releasing the investigative files that we have at our disposal.
While Essa Faal is telling folks that he joined NPP for national development, our investigation contradicts his side of the story. The Daily Observer has received a serious first-person account raising grave allegations about Essa Faal’s role in the 1995 court martial of members of the Gambia Armed Forces and his later position as Lead Counsel of the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission.
These claims cannot be brushed aside as idle political talk. Given their seriousness, Essa Faal and every person mentioned in this account should be afforded a full right of reply. What follows is the writer’s account in his own words, published without altering his substance, and based on these facts, we have no doubt Essa Faal should be in Mile 2 if the state follows all the investigative leads.
By Ballo Saidy Khan ( The Whistleblower)
Essa Faal is not who Gambians thought him to be. In 1995, the Gambia Armed Forces selected members of a court martial. Captain Biran Saine served as president of the court martial, Justice Felix Lartey as Judge Advocate, and DPP Akamba as prosecutor, assisted by Essa Faal, who was then a State Counsel at the Ministry of Justice.
The military members of the court martial included Major Dibba and the late Lt. Gregory Khan. The defence team for the accused included Major Babide Sarr, Captain Joseph Jassey, Captain Sarjo Fofana, Lt. Saikou Seckan, and Lt. Bunja Darbo.
The accused military officers included Abdou Trawalley, WO2 Nyang Kabarreh, Sgt. Seedy Manjang, Sgt. Ballo Saidykhan, Cpl. Matter Jallow, Cpl. Omar Njie, LCP Kairaba Camara, and LCP Babai Manneh, the elder brother of the late Chief Manneh.
Except for Ballo Saidykhan, who spent one year and eight months in prison, the rest all spent 10 years in Mile 2 Prison, McCarthy, and Jeshwang Prison.
It was a secret court martial, as it was not open to the public and no press was allowed to cover the proceedings. The Gambia Armed Forces Act allowed us to be represented by civilian lawyers, but the Army Commander, Baboucarr Jatta, said that orders from above prohibited civilian lawyers. I protested that since civilian lawyers were the ones prosecuting us, it was our right to have civilian lawyers as well, but this was dismissed.
The prosecution was conducted by Essa Faal. Even when we questioned the formation of the court and argued that those provided for the defence were not even amateurs in law, no one cared. Despite all that, Essa Faal proceeded with prosecuting us, even with mockery.
When the TRRC came, we mentioned in our statements that Essa Faal had prosecuted us at the court martial. Because of that portion of our statements, none of us who went through the court martial were called to testify at the TRRC. Our statements were collected and approved, but when they landed on Essa Faal’s table, to our surprise, those who were not eyewitnesses to the atrocities were the ones called to testify before the TRRC.
Essa Faal was running away from the issue because he knew he would be mentioned as someone who had been part of the system. For that reason, in my view, he was not qualified to serve as Lead Counsel.
DISCLAIMER: This is a first-person account of events as narrated by Ballo Saidy Khan. The Daily Observer is publishing his testimony in his own words. The claims and allegations contained in this account are his own, and all persons mentioned have the right to respond. The Daily Observer will publish any rejoinder from the parties concerned should they wish to contest, clarify, or respond to any part of this account.
STAY TUNED FOR PART TWO

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