Ex-IGP Badjie Opens Defence in Abuse of Office Trial

The Daily Observer (Banjul)

Bekai Njie And Prince Touray

30 June 2011

The former inspector general of police (IGP), Ensa Badjie yesterday opened his defence in the ongoing abuse of office criminal trial, involving the state against him, at the Banjul Magistrates Court, presided over by Magistrate Taiwo Ade Alagbe.

In his evidence-in-chief, Badjie told the court that he could remember sometime from 2008-2009, when both Christmas and the New Year were coming, in his capacity as the inspector general of the Gambia Police Force (IGP), he made an order for all the traffic junctions within KMC and Banjul to be manned by traffic officers. He added that some officers were also posted at Palma Rima Junction. “Sometimes I received a telephone call from one Fadia Jarju that officers at the Palma Rima Junction were attacked by some members of the Gambia Armed Forces headed by one Captain Fatty,” Badjie told the court.

According to him, the informant said that the military officers claimed that the area was their territory; thus, assaulted them (the police) until one Corporal Camara sustained a fracture on his right hand whilst some got arrested. Badjie further told the court that upon hearing that information and that since his house was just 500 meters away from the scene he went there. “I went to Captain Fatty to ask him about the matter, but he told me that they were ordered by one Brigadier widely called ‘Baba Mally’ that police officers could not perform at that junction,” he narrated. He added that Corporal Camara further told him (Badjie) that Captain Fatty told him that he (Camara) could liaise with his superior (Badjie) to solve the matter amicably. “I told Fatty that road matters are not for military officers and then took all my officers to Kotu Police Station where the matter was reported and Camara was taken to the hospital,” he told the court.

He further explained that he informed the minister of Interior about the matter. “After 6-7 months one Ousman Drammeh known as ‘Baka’ called me on telephone whilst I was sitting with my family and a friend and told me that his vehicle had been packed at a military post and that the officer-in-charge said that it was a wrong packing he made. I told him that I could not be involved because it was not my responsibility. He passed the telephone to Captain Fatty and I responded the same way and hung-off,” he further told the court.

He further revealed that in October 2009, he received Fatty’s dismissal letter from the Office of the President; and was ordered to arrest Fatty for the assault he had committed. According to him, he instructed the Commissioner of North Bank Region for Fatty to be arrested. “He was arrested and handed over to the police in Serrekunda where he was cautioned and charged and he later appeared before the Kanifing Magistrates Court,” he narrated. He stated that he had earlier told the minister of Interior that it was the 3rd time police officers were being assaulted by the military officers, and that that time around if nothing came out of it he would resign.

“In March 2010, I was arrested and detained for three months after which I was taken to court, after sometimes, a panel of police officers came and said that I should give them a witness statement,” he told the court. He further informed the court that after two months, the same panel came back to him at Mile 2 and said that they wanted to obtain his cautionary and voluntary statements respectively. They further stated that Fatty was arrested for giving false information to a public officer. “My lord, I am innocent in all these cases,” he finally told the court.

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