The trial of Sanna Manjang at the High Court in Banjul continued before Justice S.K. Jobarteh, with prosecution witness PW7 testifying to alleged torture during detentions following the 2006 coup plot. The State was represented by Deputy DPP E.R. Dougan and Counsel A. Badjie, while the accused was represented by Counsel S.K. Jobe.
PW7, Babou Janha, a contractor based in Sinchu Alagie, testified that he served in the Gambia Armed Forces for nearly 27 years following his enlistment on May 12, 1996. After completing training, he was posted to GAF Supply and Transport as a driver, deployed to the Gambia Navy, GAF Police, and finally to the Headquarters in Banjul as a driver to Colonel Ndure Cham.
On March 21, 2006, following the alleged coup conspiracy, Babou Janha stated that soldiers and civilians were arrested. He himself was arrested twelve days later, on April 4, 2006, at 3:00 p.m., at GAF Headquarters in Banjul by General Alagie Martin.
Babou Janha testified that during interrogation at the National Intelligence Agency, he was beaten severely by the late Musa Jammeh, General Alagie Martin, and soldiers from the State Guard Battalion. He remained at the NIA until 7:00 p.m., when he was transferred to Mile II Central Prison.
At Mile II, Janha said, he encountered numerous military officers and civilians arrested in connection with the alleged coup, including Colonel Dunja Darboe, Yaya Darboe, Faring Sanyang, Pierra Mendy, Wassa Camara, Alieu Jobe, Tamsir Jassey, Oustass Sey, Hon. Demba Dem, and Alieu Lowe.
Babou Janha further stated that during his detention at Mile II, he observed the physical condition of the detainees. Buja Darboe had a broken arm; Yaya Darboe’s eyes were “swollen and completely red”; Faring Sanyang bore a scar on his neck “as if he had attempted to be slaughtered”; and Tamsir Jassey was observed walking on one side, indicating an injury. According to Janha, detainees later told him they had been tortured.
Babou Janha testified that during a trial-within-trial proceeding in a Court-Martial, Yaya Darboe identified their alleged assailants as members of the so-called “Junglers”—a unit responsible for torture. Yaya Darboe named Malick Jatta, Michael Correa, Mustapha Sanneh, Sanna Manjang, and Modou Jarjue as men who beat detainees.
Babou Janha explained that while detained, inmates were occasionally permitted to leave for bathing. During these occasions, detainees would gather around the toilet and share information about their treatment, providing one another with the names of those who had assaulted them.
Under cross-examination by Defence Counsel S.K. Jobe. Counsel Jobe established that all beatings identified by the witness were carried out by soldiers of the Gambia Armed Forces, specifically members of the State Guard Battalion. Babou Janha agreed that all such soldiers were posted at the State House at the time, and that the commander of the State Guard was General Serign Modou Njie.
When asked whether soldiers under the command of the head of the State Guard could carry out military duties without the commander’s knowledge, Babou Janha stated, “I do not know about that.” However, he agreed that “in normal circumstances,” movements of soldiers are instructed or authorised by the commander.
Counsel Jobe then posed a proposition: that as of March 2006, Sanna Manjang was stationed in Kanilai in charge of a patrol team, placing him geographically distant from the State House at the time of the alleged assaults. Babou Janha replied, “No, I am not aware of that.”
When asked directly whether he knew Sanna Manjang personally, Babou Janha replied, “I do not know Sanna Manjang.”
Counsel Jobe challenged Babou Janha’s recollection regarding Yaya Darboe’s testimony. Counsel Jobe put to Babou Janha that Yaya Darboe never mentioned Sanna Manjang at the Court-Martial proceedings. Babou Janha insisted that Darboe “mentioned the people I mentioned here. He mentioned all of them.”
When Jobe asked whether Babou Janha could produce any document from the Court-Martial proceedings to corroborate Yaya Darboe’s testimony, Babou Janha conceded: “No, I cannot, but it is in the proceedings.”
Regarding the injuries sustained by detainees, Babou Janha confirmed that while some detainees suffered broken bones, Yaya Darboe’s injuries did not include a broken hand.
When questioned about the closeness of his relationship with Yaya Darboe at Mile II, Babou Janha testified that they were close, seeing and speaking to each other every day.
No re-examination was conducted by the prosecution. Justice Jobarteh discharged PW7 from the stand. The prosecution requested an adjournment to call its next witness, to which Counsel Jobe offered no objection.
The case has been adjourned today, July 7, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. for the prosecution to present evidence from PW8.
Today, when the matter was called, the prosecution informed the Court that it had written to explain its inability to proceed due to the unavailability of the witness. Deputy DPP E.R. Dougan apologised for the inconvenience and requested a further adjournment, assuring the Court that the State would “take the necessary steps to ensure the matter progresses.”
Counsel S.K. Jobe rejected the prosecution’s explanation as insufficient. He questioned what the State meant by “taking the necessary steps” and reminded the Court of the prosecution’s account at the previous sitting, when it had blamed the delay on a witness who was merely running late, and the prosecution claimed it would be resolved.
Counsel Jobe then challenged the prosecution’s case management. He pointed out that several witnesses listed by the prosecution remain uncalled. He questioned their whereabouts and demanded clarity on how the prosecution intended to locate and present those witnesses.
Counsel Jobe further recalled that the Court had previously accepted an agreement that multiple witnesses would be brought to testify. Counsel Jobe stressed that it had not occurred.
In response, the prosecution stated that the issue of the witness who arrived late had been addressed through the previous adjournment. The Deputy DPP reiterated that the State was not seeking repeated adjournments and had no intention of showing disrespect to the Court.
Justice Sidi K. Jobarteh acknowledged receipt of the prosecution’s letter and granted the adjournment application. However, her ruling came with an emphatic warning.
The Justice stated that this would be the final adjournment the Court would permit in the matter. Her message was unambiguous: the prosecution must be prepared to proceed on the next hearing date, or face sanctions for failure to manage its case.
The case has been adjourned to Friday, July 17, 2026, at 9:30 a.m., when the prosecution is expected to call its eighth witness (PW8).
