"...If an individual like Satang Jobarteh who set out to  provide needed
assistance to her compatriots without expecting anything in return is a
target of harassment, what then does this say to the people about those who
targeted her  for that very dedication?..."

Jabou,

Impostor 'revolutionaries' like our 'soldiers with a difference' are allergic to selfless and dedicated patriots like sister Satang and brother Dumo because these are people who unite theory with practice. The dictatorship delude themselves that they can avoid being exposed by these dedicated folks' examples by targeting them for harassment in order to both demoralize them and at the same time serve a warning notice to others with 'any funny' ideas.  Read on about the 'trial' of Dumo et. al... What a travesty of justice!

Regards,

Kabir.



Revelations At Dumo and Co Trial

The Daily Observer (Banjul)

February 26, 2003 
Posted to the web February 26, 2003 

Ousman Darboe and Omar Bah
Banjul 

Francesco Caso, a key witness in the on-going treason trial of Momodou Dumo Saho and five others, and whose testimony was much debated by the court, yesterday began to give evidence at the hearing.

In his revelations, Caso narrated how he met Ebrima Barrow, the first accused, at his restaurant in Bakau.

According to Caso, he had built a binding relationship with Barrow mainly because of Barrow's fluidity in Italian, Caso's mother tongue.

"As Barrow continued to make daily visits to my restaurant, he always spoke ill of the administration and expressed his desire for a possible change in the Government." Caso further said Barrow had also told him that his frequent visit to The Gambia was to see a change of Government.

Caso continued to reveal that he (Caso) had introduced himself to Barrow as a security agent in Italy and had demanded to know details of Barrow's plans. "Barrow then promised to pay me a lot of money and said that if I give him more time, he will show me all the people who wanted to kill the Prsesident. With my experience, I knew that Barrow was telling the truth (serious about the plan). I then told him to give me some time to think about the plans but I instead reported the matter to Pa Mbai, a security agent, formerly of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

Mbai came to me days later together with the deputy director general of NIA, Abdoulie Kujabi, and Foday Barry and I informed them that some people wanted to change the Government by force," Caso said.

He continued that the two men (Abdoulie Kujabi and Foday Barry) gave him the go ahead to carry on the investigation and to update the NIA headquarters on a daily basis.

Caso, who now works as a state security to President Jammeh, said he then pledged his support for Barrow and his plans. "Barrow later came with Saul Ndow and Dumo Saho to my restaurant, all of them supporting the idea of a coup d'etat. Dumo said, on that day, that he and his men have weapons at a village near Kanilai and that they can kill the President as he (the president) has cleared the bush and his house is clearly visible from that village (Dumo's supposed position). Caso however did not name the village, as, according to him, he was not told the name of the village.

Caso added that Dumo's companion, Saul Ndow, also promised to buy weapons from Nigeria through his fishing boats that ply Conakry.

Caso continued that he later met with Alhaji Kanteh, former commissioner of North Bank Division, at Saul Ndow's house where a meeting was convened. At that meeting, Caso said, "Kanteh informed me that he has an ally at State House and someone close to the President, by the names of Lt Omar Darboe and Lt Lalo Jaiteh respectively." "Kanteh", Caso went on, "also told me that he has somebody at Fajara Barracks who is responsible for the change of duties at Mile II Central Prisons and another person who could cut off communications in the country, in the name of Ebrima Yarbo." "During another meeting at his house, Kanteh and Barrow explained to me how to kill the President on his way from Kanilai. They noted that their plan was very good and described Kanteh as an intelligent man." Caso continued to tell the court that while all these discussions were in progress, he was regularly briefing the NIA on the developments.

Caso went further that he also went with Barrow to visit Ebrima Yarbo at Gamtel and had, at one time, received a pistol from Yarbo, which he showed to the NIA. "I gave a false cheque to Yarbo pretending to buy the pistol, but later he came to me saying he could not cash the cheque. I gave back his pistol and he returned my cheque," Caso said.

He continued that Barrow took him to Sheriff Dibba, current Speaker of the National Assembly and asked him (Dibba) in what way he would like to see the government changed. "Dibba replied that the change must be effected in a democractic way and not through violence." According to Caso, the other politician they contacted was Lamin Waa Juwara, who along with Barrow visited Caso at his restaurant. "After a chat, Waa Juwara said he thought Gambians were not ready for a change of Government, but that he was ready for anyone to change the Government. Juwara gave me a Gambian address and said that if anybody asked me about our relationship, I should tell them he is a business partner." Caso also said he took permission from NIA's Kujabi to visit Kanilai as he did not trust Kanteh who he described as a dangerous and intelligent man. At Kanilai, he said, he attempted to change the Presidential convoy but was challenged by Lt Lalo Jaiteh, then ADC to the President, who asked him why he changed the convoy. "I refused to tell him the reasons because I did not want Lt Jaiteh to report me to Kanteh. I later joined the camp commander's vehicle and the convoy arrived in Banjul without any problem," he said.

Caso also pointed out that Kanteh had informed him that he had lot of people who could rule the country but would be the leader first after the President is killed. Caso said he believed that Kanteh was ready for a coup but that he was not told the day the coup may actually be executed. He stated that he later went to Kanteh's compound with Barrow and there they met four other people.

'I asked Kanteh about the rest of the men and he replied that some of them have gone for work, while others have travelled to the provinces. He added that of the four men he met at Kanteh's home, three were ex-soldiers while the other was a Sergeant with one of the security companies and had a "walkie-talkie." After briefing the NIA, Caso said he also warned the intelligence agency to quickly arrest all the alleged coup plotters before they could carry out the coup plot. He also said Kanteh and Saul Ndow successfully escaped a day or two before the arrests.

Hearing continues today.

Ansuman Yarbo also contributed to the story.



* * *


More Revelations At Treason Trial



The Daily Observer (Banjul)

February 27, 2003 
Posted to the web February 27, 2003 

Ousman Darboe
Banjul 

The treason trial of Dumo Sarho and five others continued yesterday at the Banjul High Court. Francesco Caso, the principal witness, was subjected to intense cross examination by defense counsel for the first accused, Lawyer Mai Fatty.

While cross examining Caso, who was accompanied to court by personnel of the National Intelligence Agency, defence counsel, Mai Fatty, put it to him that the statement which he made earlier to the police and his evidence before the court on Tuesday March 25 were contradictory. Lawyer Fatty read aloud Caso's earlier statement to the police, in which he had claimed that Sheriff Mustapha Dibba had expressed confidence in the ability of the fourth accused, Ebrima Yarbo's to cut off the communication system on the day of the planned coup d'etat. This, according to Lawyer Fatty, was at variance with Caso's Tuesday evidence in which he said Dibba's only comment was that the Government must only be changed through democratic means.

Mai Fatty also put it to Caso that Barrow had taken him to Sheriff Dibba to make acquaintance with Dibba as a relative and as a presidential hopeful.

Fatty also said that Barrow had not introduced Caso to Dibba with any intention or plan to stage a coup. Caso denied these and insisted that they (Caso and Barrow) had gone to Dibba to discuss the alleged coup plot.

Refering again to Caso's earlier 1999 statement to the police, in which Caso did not make any mention of any meeting with a certain Jawara Waa , Lawyer Fatty put it to Caso that he never met with a Jawara Waa and quizzed him as to the particulars of that meeting.

Caso replied that he did indeed meet with Waa at his restaurant in 1999, noting that the meeting with Waa and Barrow was only not recorded in his police statement. "I did not write the said meeting in my statement to the police, I made it verbally but it was not recorded." Caso further noted that he went with Barrow to Late Colonel Sam Sillah's residence but did not meet him. "We knocked at Sam Sillah's door but there was no response," he said.

Defence counsel Mai Fatty also told the court that the pistol, to which Caso had made a reference in his Tuesday court evidence had been given to Caso at his own request. "You told the court that you told Barrow that you need a pistol for your personal and family security, and that was why Barrow took you to Ebrima Yarbo for the pistol." Caso denied ever telling Barrow that he needed a pistol for his and family security.

"I took the pistol owned by Ebrima Yarbo to the police for them to know that Yarbo has a pistol and I pretended to Yarbo that I needed his gas pistol. I gave him a cheque that has no value and he (Yarbo) later returned the cheque to me and I gave him back his pistol. I did this because I was playing a double game," Caso said.

He also denied Lawyer Fatty's assertion that the pistol had been taken to the police to prove that it could be used to overthrow the President, "it was just for them to know that Yarbo has pistol." Caso also denied that he had only met all the alleged coup plotters based on their friendship with Ebrima Barrow and not because they were party to any coup plot.

The Italian also denied being from a Mafia state in Italy, and also denied ever having originally suggested the idea of a coup d' etat to the accused persons.

On further cross examination, Caso admitted that the name of Yarbo came into the picture only after he (Caso) requested for a radio "walkie-talkie" frequency licence.

"I only intended to know Yarbo, but I did not tell him the reason why. I only assumed that he is the one who can cut off communication," he said.

Caso said it was Barrow who told him that Yarbo was part of the alleged coup plot, adding that he did not only meet Yarbo for the frequency radio licence but also to know him, as he was said to be the communications expert who could be central to the plot.

Fatty also confronted Caso about having being arrested and interrogated sometimes before the alleged coup plot saga. Caso admitted the charged, but claimed that he was only interrogated and not arrested. He explained that he was then interrogated by the Gambia police when he was found with a pistol at the border. He said after the interrogation, it was found out that he was only carrying a toy pistol. When Lawyer Fatty asked what the purpose of carrying a toy pistol was, Caso replied that as a one-time security man, he loved to have toy guns.

Asked if he has ever being involved in any child abuse or sexual molestation, Caso answered in the negative, noting that he has three children.

Caso also denied Lawyer Fatty's assertion that Dumo Sarho had only been introduced to him in order to assist him in his business.

In his cross examination, the defence counsel further alleged that Barrow was once removed from prison custody and illegally detained at the NIA quarters for some time. Barrow, according to the Lawyer was being coerced by the NIA to change his plea and to be used as a witness in plans to extradite Kanteh from Senegal.

Reacting to these allegations, Caso denied being part of the group that removed Barrow under force of arms from Mile 2 Central Prisons to the NIA headquarters on November 2, 2002.

"I never saw Barrow since he was taken to Mile 2. I did not discuss anything with him when arrested to change his plea so that we can be used as a witness to extradite Kanteh from Senegal. I did not know whether he was taken from Mile 2." However, it could be recalled that Barrow was once removed from Mile 2 prisons and twice appeared in court with police escort. He had also intended to change his plea.

The case continues today.

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