From the accused box to the witness box, the defiant erstwhile former junta member and minister, Yankuba Touray on Tuesday finally mounted the witness box to testify in his defence in a murder charge preferred against him by the state for his alleged involvement in the murder of the late junta finance minister, Ousman ‘Koro’ Ceesay who died in June 1995 at his resident in Kololi.
Mr Touray who refused to take his plea and defence after the closure of the prosecution case began his testimony by furnishing the court with his educational background which started from 1974 at Njaba Kunda Primary School in Baddibou before proceeding to Muslim High School in 1979.
Upon completion of his high school, Touray told the court he was enlisted in the Gambia National Army in 1986 as a recruit before he went for further military course in Forte Benin in Georgia with his former colleague, Sana Sabally.
‘Upon return from Forte Benin in 1991, I was posted to the First Infantry Battalion as a platoon commander and also responsible for battalion football team. In 1993 I was moved to the Second Infantry Battalion in Farafenni and also overseeing Kudang military post as officer commanding before I was reposted to Farafenni again,’ the former lieutenant turned politician, Yankuba Touray told the presiding judge, Justice Ebrima Jaiteh.
When asked by his counsel whether he knows a person called Alagie Kanyi from 1987 to 21st July 1994, the soft spoken Mr Touray replied in the positive, adding that Mr Kanyi was a private soldier but he had no working relationship with him.
Mr Touray who was the former political mouthpiece of APRC further recalled that until after 26 July 1994, he was still the platoon commander at Farafenni military barrack and a member of the military council as a second lieutenant that ousted the regime of the late president Jawara.
Mr Touray further told the court he was still a member of the military council in June 1995 including the exiled former president Jammeh as the chairman of the council, while the second lieutenant Edward Singhatey, Captain Lamin Kaba Bajo and Ebou Jallow were also members.
As the minister of Local Government and Lands, Touray said he was also the chairman of the coordinating committee for transition to democratic rule and also the chairman of coordinating committee of AFPRC projects.
The case was at this point adjourned to Wednesday for Touray to continue his testimony.