Two political protégés of Gambia’s exiled former President Yahya Jammeh have been detained in a suspected witness-tampering case involving the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission.
Former National Assembly Speaker, Fatoumatta Jahumpa-Ceesay and Yankuba Touray, a bonafide member of the erstwhile ruling military junta under Jammeh were rearrested on Wednesday, hours after state prosecutors withdrew the cases against them.
The cases which were over alleged tempering with a TRRC witness last month were being heard by a magistrate court outside the capital Banjul.
Prosecutors had made known their intention to refer the case to the High Court to which lawyers of the co-accused never objected.
Fatou Jahumpa Ceesay who is said to be seeking bail has been detained by the Gambian police who have not commented on the reason for her detention.
She and her co-accused Touray were arrested last month after Alhagie Kanyi, a witness to the TRRC told a hearing that they had separately called him by telephone and attempted to dissuade him from appearing before the commission.
Through the course of his testimony, Mr. Kanyi had owned up to participating in the execution of alleged coup plotters in November 1994 and the murder of former Finance Minister Ousman Koro Sesay.
Kanyi said the minister’s killing took place at the home of Yankuba Touray, the former Local Government minister when The Gambia was under military rule in 1995.
WN/as/APA