By Marie Bojang
The Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) Lead Counsel Essa Faal yesterday revealed that Ministry of Justice ordered the arrest of commission witnesses and not the commission.
“The recent arrests of TRRC witnesses were ordered by the Ministry of Justice and not the commission. The witnesses, including ex-soldier John C.B Mendy were arrested and charged following their TRRC appearances, he told journalists at a press conference at the TRRC
The Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) have been received with mixed feelings since the beginning of its proceedings early this year.
Set up to investigate atrocities and violations of human rights committed during the regime of Yahya Jammeh, the commission has attracted both victims and perpetrators of the regime as witnesses. While many people hailed the process so far as an answer to the Gambia’s quest for reconciliation and justice, others cried foul and accused the TRRC of witch hunt.
Faal said the commission “is not a witch hunting exercise, but a victim-centred process aimed at establishing the truth about violations and abuse of human rights.”
He further denied allegations of selective justice by the TRRC, stressing that the commission’s exercise was not a criminal trial.
Faal pointed out that TRRC has always endeavoured to remove many features that would liking the process to that of a normal court proceeding.
He reiterated that the success of the TRRC depends to a large extent on its ability to get to the truth of what happened from 1994 to 2017 as mandated by its act.
But responding to a question about his robust questioning and confrontation with witnesses, Faal said “there is no need for confrontation with the witnesses unless there is reason to believe that a witness is not forthcoming or he’s providing false or misleading information.”
On allegations of evidence destruction at the headquarters of the National Intelligence Agency or NIA (now State Intelligence Services), he noted that investigators are yet to establish if evidence has been destroyed at the NIA.
“Our investigators are working on all the evidence adduced before the commission.”
He cautioned that “destroying evidence is a crime that the commission cannot take lightly.”
He further noted that institutional hearing would expose some of the allegations against any institution, including the NIA.
He also said the process would avail the commission the opportunity to address some of the allegations levelled against institutions.”