By Adama Makasuba & By Landing Colley
Truth Commission lead counsel Essa Faal has warned former National Intelligence Agency (NIA) officer Omar Cham that if he continues to lie in his testimony he will not be qualified for amnesty.
On his second day at the Commission, Cham was urged to speak the truth as dozens of witnesses adversely mentioned him for committing human rights violations like torture.
He earlier denied many testimonies.
Meanwhile, after the strong warning, Counsel Faal put it to him, “Mr Witness let me tell you something clearly you have committed offences, in fact, many offences.”
Mr Cham seems to backtrack with caution and replied: “yes serious ones for that matter and I agree.”
Mr Faal continued to jab him with saying: “if you are not granted amnesty you will be prosecuted.”
Cham said: “yes I know that and I will keep that in my mind until I enter my grave. Yes even yesterday I apologised to those whom I offended and I will still apologise to them to forgive me after my testimony today.”
Faal shout again saying: “And do you realise if you continue to speak untruth you not qualify for amnesty.”
The apologetic Omar Cham replied: “that’s clear to me very well.” He asked people he offended to forgive him.
“I regret the tortured that I carried out at the NIA and wherever it may be, whether I was aware or not I’m appealing for your forgiveness.”
He added: “I know that hereafter I will be questioned about it and if they can forgive me before that, ‘am appealing to you. I really regret this and God knows it. This apology is from in-depth of my heart and I am appealing to them to forgive me.”
However, he confessed torturing people at the NIA during their detention period saying: “acquisition alleged on me I agree to them and also as far as I was the head of the team whatever my juniors committed, I take the responsibilities and I am asking forgiveness.”
He said he will never forgive Sillahba Samateh, Ensa Badjie, Gibril Waggah as the serious allegations they made on him was false.
But he denied participating in the torture of Ebou Khan, Sillahba Samateh, Ensa Badjie, Gibril Waggah and according to Ebou Kah who appeared before TRRC while he said Omar Cham beat him mercilessly.
