In the ongoing trial for crimes against humanity of Gambia’s former interior minister, Ousman Sonko, before a Swiss court, two Gambian prison officers, Lamin Sanneh and Abdou Jammeh, testified on Monday about torture, inadequate food, and unhygienic conditions at the country’s central jail, Mile 2.
Lamin Sanneh, a prison officer who testified as the fifth witness in the trial, told the three-judge panel that torture was common in Mile 2, the nation’s main jail, which Jammeh referred to as his “five-star” hotel, in 2012.
“Most of the time, the Junglers come there and take inmates to the National Intelligence Agency, and when they return them, you know that these inmates have gone through something,” said Sanneh. “Some inmates are tortured while they are being taken away. I experienced that also. It is very terrible.”
Awareness of mistreatment by Ousman Sonko
David Colley, the longtime former head of Gambia’s Prison Services, the organization in charge of managing Gambian prisons, including Mile 2, had Mr. Sanneh as his personal bodyguard.
Mr. Sonko maintained that he had no operational or administrative control over the prisons and refuted any misconduct. According to Mr. Sonko, the military frequently had authority over the Security Wing of Mile 2, which is a face-sized window snuggled close to the roof and just two meters square.
“David Colley has operational and administrative responsibility over prison services and all the prisons in the Gambia. As a result, he doesn’t require my instructions,” Sonko stated during the Monday court proceedings in Switzerland.
Sanneh, however, stated in his testimony that he was fully aware of everything that happened in the jails, including Mile 2, and that he had a close working connection with Sonko.
“Whatever happens at the prison, the director [David Colley] will feed Sonko” with information, said Sanneh. “I know the director will not do anything without the notice of the minister. If anything is going on in the prison, he has to inform him.”
Abdou Jammeh, an additional correctional officer detained without charge for nine months following his arrest in 2016, provided a similar account.
Baba Jobe’s Murder
One of the many accusations against Mr. Sonko that he is facing in Switzerland is that he was involved in the 2012 killing of Baba Jobe, who was the majority leader of Mr. Jammeh’s APRC party.
A nine-year prison sentence was imposed on Mr. Jobe in 2004 for economic crimes. Hardly a year before his scheduled release, it is said that Junglers entered his chamber and used a pillow to suffocate him. Jungler Omar Jallow provided testimony at the Truth Commission in 2019.
Mr. Sanneh claimed that day that he was ordered to watch over Colley, who was in the hospital. Then he told the court that Colley had informed him that military people were scheduled to visit Jobe and that he should let them in when they got there.
In 2018, David Colley notified Swiss prosecutors that Sonko had called and requested access to Jobe for Jungler Nuha Badgie as well. Colley made an allegation, but Sonko refuted it and said he had nothing to do with the preparation or execution of Jobe.
Although the trial is scheduled to last until January 30, the verdict is most likely to be made public in March. Mr. Sonko might spend up to 20 years in jail if proven guilty. On Wednesday, the trial will resume.
