Malick Jatta, a serving member of the Gambian Armed Forces Monday testified before the country’s Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) that ex-president Yahya Jammeh had ordered the killing of newspaper editor Deyda Hydara in December 2004.
Jatta, 44 who admitted to firing one of the shots that killed the veteran journalist told TRRC lead counsel Essa Faal that he had overheard Tumbul Tamba, the leader of the hit squad that killed Hydara talking to ex-president Jammeh during the operations.
A commando by training Jatta who joined the military in 1996, said he was among a group of soldiers mobilized for the mission on December 16, 2004 led by Tamba who died several years ago.
The TRRC are currently conducting hearings on the Jugglers, a hit squad which ostensibly carried out several orders under the direct command of Yahya Jammeh aimed at neutralizing perceived opponents.
As the first former member of the fearsome group appearing before the commission, Jatta formally identified other members of the group that mowed down Hydara, namely Tumbul Tamba, Sanna Manjang and Alieu Jeng.
He said after Tamba had taken them to a spot in his own private vehicle, they had used a taxi to trail Mr. Hydara’s car and fired shots directed at the person who was at the wheels.
He said Tamba had said “Gentlemen, this is the idiot”, a phrase which was meant to signal to them to shoot at the victim.
Jatta said after a brief hesitation, all of them in the taxi except Tumbul who was in the driving seat fired toward the target (Hydara).
The witness said before the operation, Tamba had made reference to targeting a so-called “magic pen” which he would eventually realize was a code name for their victim.
The army captain said after executing the plot, his group had quietly retired to Jammeh’s home village of Kanilai 119km south of the capital Banjul where Tamba had handed them envelopes with some dollars as reward for the success of the operation.
Twenty four hours later, Jatta said he had travelled to urban Gambia where he heard from the news that a journalist had been shot dead and was rattled that Jammeh had condemned the murder even though the order to carry it out had emanated from him.
He said after remonstrating with his superior who according to him was aware of the nature of the operation, he had asked to leave the jugglers.
Jatta who continues his testimony on Tuesday also admitted to taking part in several other operations involving the hit squad including the execution of one Dawda Nyassi who was accused of being a rebel and a civilian.
Journaist Deyda Hydara, who co-owned and edited The Point newspaper was gunned down in a drive-by shooting almost fifteen years ago, hours after marking the paper’s 13th anniversary.
Although the then government had promised to investigate the killing, several pronouncement by Jammeh about the motives for Hydara’s murder had been controversial.
WN/as/APA