In the current trial of Michael Sang Correa, two significant witnesses, Yaya M.S. Darboe, a military officer, and Alieu Jobe, a civilian, provided testimony indicating that Correa was part of the infamous “Junglers” who subjected them to torture at the National Intelligence Agency (NIA). Darboe described the Junglers as a ruthless faction, identifying Correa as the most violent among his purported tormentors.
Images of Mile 2 Central Prison and photographs of victims with molten plastic burns were presented to both victims, who identified the images. The images featured the prison cells at Mile 2 and the burn injuries that Darboe sustained.
On Monday, the proceedings commenced with remarks from both the Federal prosecutors and the defence. Prosecutors asserted that Correa moved victims from Mile 2 Prison to the NIA headquarters in Banjul, where he purportedly suffocated them by covering their heads with plastic bags. Furthermore, it was claimed that Correa and other members of the Junglers suspended one victim in a rice bag prior to assaulting him.
The defence, represented by attorneys Jared Westbroek and Boston Stanton Jr., contended that Correa was merely a private soldier at the time and did not possess the authority to command others. They argued that Correa could not have escaped the country because of the damage that former President Yahya Jammeh supposedly caused to his family. The defence contended that Correa was unable to take action, referencing the fate of the “dishonest” Junglers who were allegedly killed.
Darboe and Jobe shared their intense experiences following their arrests related to the 2006 failed coup attempt. Jobe detailed his detention, the subsequent transfer to the NIA, and the interrogation regarding the coup, which he firmly denied any involvement in. He was subsequently delivered to the Junglers, who subjected him to relentless torture. Jobe endured nine years at Mile 2 Prison before receiving a 20-year sentence.
Darboe, who was also arrested for his role in the coup attempt, described being taken to the NIA, where he denied involvement in the coup during the interrogation. He was also later delivered to the Junglers for torture. Darboe mentioned that Bora Colley and Malick Jatta were the sole members who did not engage in the abuse. He portrayed the Junglers as a merciless faction, with Michael Sang Correa standing out as the most brutal of his aggressors. Darboe was incarcerated in Mile 2 for nine years before being released in June 2015.
On Monday, a federal judge dismissed one of the charges against Michael Sang Correa due to the absence of a key witness, Bunja Darboe, who did not appear in court. Prosecutors sought to withdraw Count Five, which pertains to the alleged torture of army officer Bunja Darboe, stating that Darboe was unable to testify because of his current deployment.
Correa, a former member of the elite “Junglers” unit, is confronted with multiple charges concerning torture, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings that occurred during the 22-year regime of former President Yahya Jammeh. Numerous ex-Junglers named Correa in their statements to The Gambia’s Truth, Reconciliation, and Reparations Commission (TRRC).
