One of the guards at Yankuba Touray’s residence has told the Truth Commission on Thursday that they were sent on a ‘wild goose chase’ the night former finance minister Koro Ceesay was murdered.
According to various testimonies before the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparation Commission, Koro was killed at Yankuba Touray’s residence by Edward Singhateh, Touray himself, Peter Singhateh, Alagie Kanyi, among others.
Amadou Jangum, a former Gendarmerie who joined the army after his unit was disbanded, said he was serving as a guard at Touray’s residence in June of 1995. He was there with two other guards, two orderlies and a driver.
He said on this fateful day when Koro died, Touray asked him to take his family to Edward Singhateh’s residence in Fajara near the Bakau Craft Market for a “birthday celebration”.
He did and as also instructed, he took his men for a patrol at the beach in Fajara. According to him, Touray’s claims were that they were expecting some people to land the shores of the Fajara beach with a boat full of weapons.
On this day, former self-style ruler Yahya Jammeh, then Chairman Captain Jammeh, was supposed to travel to Ethiopia. But Jangum had no idea.
So he mobilized his men and went on patrol. It was drizzling and they have found nothing. They came home. Upon arrival at Touray’s residence, he has found Edward near the gate with mud all over his shoes, in wet cloths but he had no idea why.
Then he complimented Edward and he asked him to return for patrol. Jangum said they were without a gun or full military fatigue yet they had left Touray’s residence to stop a boat full of weapons.
He said they returned for patrol. This time they went to a friend’s residence. No one talked to them about the mission or the sighting or not of the boat.
Then in the morning, Touray’s wife came to them with a newspaper featuring the death of Koro Ceesay in his burnt car. Jangum said he was not aware of anything at the time.
However, when information came out from Ebou Jallow that Koro was killed at Touray’s residence on that day they there sent on a mission that never was, pieces of the puzzle began falling.
“Then I read from Ebou Jallow that Koro Ceesay was killed at Yankuba’s house and they fooled the guards. Then I realized this was true. When I heard Ebou Jallow, I knew the mission was fake,” said Jangum.
Meanwhile, earlier testimony have supported the assertion that Koro was killed at Touray’s residence. Alagie Kanyi, a private soldier who participated in the murder, confessed to Commission few weeks ago.
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