By: Adama Makasuba
Alhagie Kanteh, former army captain has told the Truth Commission that he and other security men were physically and mentally tortured at the Mile Two Prison by the AFPRC junta in 1994.
He appeared as the fourth person to testify before the Commission at the Dunes hotel, adding that he only spent 90 days at the Mile Two.
“On this fateful day something terrible happened…nobody can forget that. We were attacked by a group of soldiers, who came and tortured us physically and mentally. All the junta men came except Yahya Jammeh,” he said.
Mr. Kanteh, who joined the Gambia National Army in 1985 and briefly served as the spokesperson of the AFPRC junta, said he was arrested by a group of soldiers led by ex-lieutenant Sanna Sabally after granting an interview to a Senegalese Newspaper.
He further told the Commission that he was detained under maximum security at the Mile Two with ex-captain Ebrima Kambia, Alieu Ndure, and Sheriff Mbye.
He then said that torturing were done by all the junta men that came except Yahya Jammeh, adding that one day the ex-lieutenant Edward Singhateh, Sanna Sabally, Yankuba Touray and Sadibu Hydara came to the prison and tortured Captain Mamad Cham, Assistant Inspector General Ebrima Chogan and RSM Babucarr Jeng.
He narrated that: “They went to Mamad Cham’s cell, tight him and dragged him. You could hear him pleading ‘you are hurting me’ and suddenly gunshots were heard. They came back again and Singhateh was having blood on his hand and he said we have the first causality.”
“The Junta said is enough for the execution for the night and we will come back. This thing look like Edward Singhateh’s game. He was making the talking,” he added.
The Truth Reparation and Reconciliation Commission is tasked for two years to investigate into the alleged human rights violation occurred under the tenure of ex-president Yahya Jammeh.
