You Were an Armed Robber in a Police Uniform DPP Tells Ex-IGP Badjie

The Daily Observer (Banjul)

Sidiq Asemota

12 May 2011

Mikailu Abdullahi, the director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Wednesday May 11th 2011 told the embattled former inspector general of police (IGP), Ensa Badjie that he (Ensa Badjie) had a problem with ASP Landing Bojang (PW9) because he (Ensa Badjie) was an armed robber in a police uniform.

DPP Mikailu Abdullahi made these revelation whilst cross-examining the former police boss in the ongoing robbery trial involving him and one Ali Ceesay before the Special Criminal Court in Banjul, presided over by Justice Joseph Enwa Ikpala. It could be recalled that the duo are standing trial on multiple counts of criminal offences ranging from conspiracy to commit felony, robbery, aiding and abetting robbery, escape of prisoners from lawful custody, receiving stolen properties, abuse of office, amongst others.

Responding to questions posed to him by the DPP, Mikailu Abdullahi, the embattled former police boss Ensa Badjie denied receiving three cartons of Piccadilly brand cigarettes from PW1, Soriba Condeh. When asked as to whether he can recall the evidence of PW1, Soriba Condeh, the ex-police boss told the court that he cannot remember all the evidence of PW1 Soriba Condeh adduced in court.

At this juncture, DPP remarked that it is a sheer coincidence that Soriba Condeh PW1 gave evidence that he gave him three cartons of Piccadilly cigarettes, because he (Badjie) smokes Piccadilly cigarette. Ensa Badjie replied that it could be so, adding that everybody knows that he knows Piccadilly even at the Mile Two Central Prisons PW1, Condeh had seen him smoking Piccadilly cigarettes. The ex-police boss told the court that PW8, Dodou Boy Janneh was not a police volunteer, but was Landing Bojang’s informant.

The ex-police boss stressed that PW8, Dodou Boy Janneh was never a volunteer under his command, adding that Landing Bojang (PW9) was his junior and was in charge of the task force.

Ensa Badjie said the task force was in place before the incident of incessant robberies and Landing Bojang (PW9) was the head of the said task force, adding that he was not part of the said task force. When asked whether PW8, Dodou Boy Janneh was part of the task force, he replied in the negative, adding that he did not see PW8 as part of the task force and had never seen him (PW8) effect any arrest. When further asked whether it was true that in the course of the police raid on criminal hideouts that PW8, Dodou Boy Janneh who was part of the team mistakenly killed a person?

The ex-police boss replied that he doesn’t know anything about that, but all he knows was that PW8 murdered somebody and he arrested him. When asked to tell the court about the facts of the alleged murder against PW8, Badjie informed the court that he was told that PW8 murdered somebody and he went to PW8 and arrested him.

According to the ex-police boss, the alleged incident of murder by PW8, Dodou Boy Janneh happened after the arrest of one of Soriba Condeh’s (PW1) cohorts, Amadou Jallow (PW5). The ex-IGP Badjie denied the prosecution’s claims that he arrested PW8, Dodou Boy Janneh and charged him for murder because he (Badjie) had interior motives against him (PW8), i.e. PW8 heard him (Badjie) telling PW1, Soriba Condeh during a telephone conversation to escape whilst PW8 was behind him.

On his relationship with Landing Bojang, Ensa Badjie maintained that Landing Bojang gave evidence against him because of the ill feeling he had against him. According to him (Ensa Badjie), he (Badjie) had a problem with Landing Bojang because he was elevated over him (Bojang). The ex-police boss adduced that the reason why Soriba Condeh (PW1), Muhammed Darboe (PW4) and Amadou Jallow (PW5) gave evidence implicating him in the ongoing robbery trial was because he arrested, investigated and prosecuted them in the Magistrates Court.

At this juncture, DPP, Mikailu Abdullahi told the ex-police chief, Ensa Badjie that he was a wolf in a sheep clothing within the police force and that it is true that he had problem with PW9, Landing Bojang because he was a robber in a police uniform. At this point, the Special Criminal Court judge adjourned the hearing to the 18th of May 2011 for continuation of cross-examination by DPP, Mikailu Abdullahi.

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