Monitored By: Nyima Sillah
Former Interior Minister, Ousman Sonko who is on trial in the Swiss Court, denied giving instructions to the former Inspector General of Police, Yankuba Sonkoto move the arrested people to NIA.
The former Interior Minister made the denial as part of his defense on Wednesday during the continuation of his trial at a Swiss Court where he faces crimes against humanity charges in connection to the peaceful demonstration of 2016.
“I was at the PIU on the 16th of April and not on the 14th of April 2016. The former IGP of police YankubaSonko didn’t receive any instruction from me as a Minister to move the arrested people to NIA,” Sonkoremarked.
Sonko defended himself by relying on the statement made by Modou Ngum and Fatou Camara who said they didn’t see him but could have been heard.
“Since those two said they didn’t see me then I was not there,” he argued.
He denied that he was there and didn’t give any instructions. The judge then told him the court must confront him with all the testimonies and hear his reactions.
Sonko continued that when it was put to him that Nokoi Njie told the court that Sonko was the one who instructed them to be moved to the NIA which he denied.
He said it was Baba Saho who said he got instruction from the Director General of NIA for the 14th April arrestees to be moved but not him.
When asked if he had contacted the IGP, he said ‘Yes’ IGP called and informed him.
The judge confronted him again with a document seized from him after he was arrested at the asylum center and he agreed to own the document.
He was confronted with a hand-written note where he instructed that the people arrested on the 14th of April 2016 be shot to death and he agreed that it was to be used for asylum purposes but the content was not true. “The instruction was to arrest and hand them to the NIA.”