Ex- National Assembly Member Testifies in Ensa Badjie And Tijan Badjie’s Case

FOROYAA Newspaper (Serrekunda)

Mamadou Dem

1 June 2011

Musa Suso, the former National Assembly Member (NAM) for Kombo North, on Tuesday 31st May, continued to testify in the four criminal counts charges leveled against the former Inspector General of Police, Ensa Badjie, and former Police Prosecutor, Tijan Badjie, before the Acting Principal Magistrate Alagbe Taiwo Ade of the Banjul Magistrates’ court.

Continuing his testimony, Suso, who is the third prosecution witness (PW3), told the court that when he was in prison at Mile 2 he was subjected to a lot of pressure so that he can change his statement to the extent that he would even be moved to Janjangbureh.

Who asked you to change your statement?” asked the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mikailu Abdullah. “Ensa Badjie”, replied Suso.

The ex-NAM said the first accused person (Ensa Badjie) told him to change his statement and give evidence against Benedict Jammeh (the present Executive Director of the National Drug Enforcement Agency) and Burama Dibba (the former Police Crime Management Coordinator). He added that he was summoned to the Prison Commissioner’s Office and was told that Ensa Badjie gave a complaint against him but that he told the Commissioner that the complainant should be present in the charge office because they are all prisoners and that he did not provoke him (Ensa Badjie).

Suso said he told the Commissioner that if he could address Ensa Badjie as the Ex-IGP then he should also call him (PW3) as the former MP. He said the Commissioner told him that he will refer the matter to the Director General of Prison, David Colley; adding that he never went to Colley but the second accused person (Tijan Badjie) went back to Colley and asked him (Suso) to follow him at the conference hall. He said the accused told him that his family is suffering and that if he doesn’t change his statement he will suffer more. He added that Colley told him that he will stop his visitors until he changes his statement. He said he stopped receiving his visitors until when his case was heard at the High Court where he complaint to the presiding judge that he was denied access to his lawyer and his family.

Suso told the court that he was treated in prison worse than those who even committed treason. He said after he made his complaint the judge made an order for him to have access to his lawyer and family members.

At this juncture, the DPP told the court that that was all for PW3.

The defence counsel for Ensa Badjie, Lawyer Lamin Mboge cross examined the said witness.

“Do you know that the first accused was the Commissioner for Western Region at the time of the arrest of Dibba, former CMC?” asked Mboge.

“I don’t know”, replied Suso.

At this juncture, the matter was adjourned to Monday 6th June for continuation of Cross examination.

Readers could recall that the aforesaid persons are standing trial on four counts of criminal offences namely, conspiracy to defeating justice, destroying evidence, abuse of office and deceiving witness.

The duo had earlier pleaded not guilty as charged.

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