By: Mariama Njie
Top official of the former National Intelligence Agency, who testified before the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC), has said officials of the National Intelligence Agency used to spy on the opposition parties during their political rallies and report back to the presidency on what had transpired.
Kebba Secka told TRRC that “the political affairs department at the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) was used as a spy on opposition political parties during the former regime.” He added that “the political affairs department pays more attention to the leading opposition part at that time.”
When asked what kind of information do the department always collect from the parties, he said: “we do attend their meetings, cover and recorded it which we will later transcribe everything and take to the analysis department where the report will later send to the office of the president.”
And Counsel Mariama Singhateh asked him “So you gather information about the opposition parties and you send the information to office of the president, meaning the NIA was working on the interest of the president.” And the witness said “yes.”
“I was appointed as an operative at the NIA and was told that I was for the integrity of the state and the head of state. But in reality, when we are carrying investigations or doing anything, we put the president interest first and that was the mindset of the NIA’s members. After working with these two departments, I was transferred to Kemoto in Kiang Lower River Region as a liaison officer for six months. And my role was to gather information pertaining to threat to the national security,” Mr Secka replied.
“I went through training for 3 months and was posted to headquarter as an operative at that time I started with the political department, counter-espionage and later was transferred to Bundung commands. My role was to collect information,” he explained.