Badjie: All prosecution witnesses lied against me

Badjie is standing trial on multiple charges

The former inspector general of police Ensa Badjie has said all the witnesses brought by the prosecution to testify before the court lied against him.

Badjie said some of the witnesses are having grievances against him, while others were acting under promises by the Director of Public Prosecution M. Abdullah. Badjie, who is standing trial on charges of robbery amongst others, was being cross-examined by the DPP at the Criminal Division of the High Court, in Banjul presided by Justice Ikpala.

On Monday 9^th May 2011, Badjie said he has been visiting the City Pub, a bar in Serrekunda, since 1990/91, however, he argued that he went to the Pub only on official missions (during raids).

During this period, he said one “Seedy” was in charge of the Pub. He said he is not aware of the year one “Tone Yaya Khan” was in charge of the pub.

He said after returning from a peacekeeping mission in Darfur in 2006, he stopped going to the Pub till date.

Badjie denied that the seventh prosecution witness (PW 7) Tone Yaya Khan was his informant, adding that Tone Yaya Khan was beaten, detained, held under duress and escorted by the national intelligence agents (NIAs) to tell lies against him.

He added that PW10 Abdoulie Sowe lied against him because they had argument over a police constable that Badjie alleges was impregnated by Sowe, who abandoned the child. He added that Sowe’s attitude was not in conformity with the ethics of the profession. He said Sowe also refused to take instructions from him.

Badjie, who denies knowing Soriba Conteh before his arrested, agreed that he pledged D5000 for the arrest Conteh or for any officer who gives information about Conteh’s whereabouts.

He said he did not take Soriba (PW1) to the Drug Squad Office, but he was there together with Benedict Jammeh, Omar Gibba, and Pateh Jallow to take an audio record of PW1. 

Badjie recalled that in January 2011, he was invited at the national drug agency, the NDEA Office and ordered to make statement in a small room, with respect to a telephone used in Mile II Central Prison.

He argued that he did not use the telephone and have never confronted one Lamin Badjie.

According to him, the 1^st, 4^th, 5^th and the 8^th prosecution witnesses lied against him because they were promised a “presidential pardon” which never happened.

“They are still in the prison hoping to be release, this information was given to me by the witnesses themselves,” he said. The cross-examination continues on May 11, 2011. Source - The Voice