Alleged former Jungler Sanna Manjang has resumed his trial at the High Court in Banjul, denying involvement in the torture of two suspects in the 2006 coup plot, Tamsir Jasseh and Yaya M.S. Darboe.
Testifying before Justice Sidi K. Jobarteh, Manjang said he was stationed in Kanilai at the time of the alleged assault and had no operational role in the Greater Banjul Area, where the arrests were carried out.
Under the amended indictment, he faces two counts of assault causing actual bodily harm, contrary to Section 228 of the Criminal Code. The charges relate to the alleged assault of Jasseh and military officer Darboe in March 2006.
During his evidence-in-chief on Friday, Manjang said Kanilai was his station and his responsibility was to protect citizens and their livelihoods near the border.
He said he learnt about the alleged coup plot involving Ndure Cham through a signal message and radio broadcasts. Following the announcement, he heard the names of Jasseh and Darboe among those implicated.
Manjang told the court that a separate team based at State House was responsible for patrolling the Greater Banjul Area and received its operational instructions from there.
He identified members of the team, including Nuha Badjie, whom he described as its head; Momodou Jarju, also known as Rambo; Michael Correa; Fansu Nyabally; Mustapha Sanneh; and Sulayman Sambou.
He maintained that he never worked with the team because he was posted in Kanilai and had no responsibility for operations in Greater Banjul.
According to him, the names “Black Blacks” and “Junglers” were used by members of the public rather than being official military designations. He said he only became familiar with the names during the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) proceedings.
Manjang denied participating in the arrests, saying he learnt about them through a signal message. He maintained that his duties in Kanilai did not extend to the Greater Banjul Area.
He also denied knowing Darboe personally, despite both serving in the Army.
“Yaya has never worked directly or indirectly under me. I cannot remember where he worked under me,” he told the court.
Regarding Jasseh, Manjang claimed that he did not mention his name during his TRRC testimony and alleged that the accusations emerged after his arrest.
“Tamsir Jasseh mentioned the names of several people at the TRRC without mentioning my name. It was only after I was arrested by the Gambia Armed Forces that Tamsir came up with these allegations,” he said.
“My Lord, the allegations levelled against me by both victims are false because I have never participated in their arrest or torture during their detention,” he added.
The defence subsequently closed its evidence-in-chief.