The Truth Commission probing the human rights violations of Gambia’s former self-style ruler Yahya Jammeh has respectfully turned down a request from Halifa Sallah to confront general Mamat Cham before the Commission over testimonies he made that the veteran politician considers to be false.
Cham, Commission’s sixth witness, has claimed the junta led by Yahya Jammeh has offered Halifa Sallah and Samuel Sarr a ministerial position but the two were late for a meeting.
This angered the socialist politician who then wrote to the Commission to recall Cham and allow him to cross-examine him.
On Thursday, Sallah’s newspaper Foroyaa published the TRRC’s response which is reproduced below.
“Dear Sir,
“Reference is drawn to your letter of 13 January 2019 (Ref:PF/13/1/2019 (1) captioned “Request for Confrontation with Ex-captain Mamat Cham to Rebut Fabrication of Evidence.
“I hereby take this opportunity to inform you that the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparation Commission (TRRC) does not have a procedure of presenting persons who disagree on facts to confront each other during hearings of the Commission.
“The Provision Rules of Procedure of the Commission (Section 70), however allows for persons who have been adversely mentioned or implicated in human rights violations during its proceedings to be given reasonable opportunity to respond to allegations made against them by way of written statements or by personal appearance before the Commission.
“Accordingly, the rebuttal enclosed with your letter will be entered in the TRRC records as your written statement in response to the relevant remarks about you made by General Mamat Cham during his recent appearance before the Commission.
“It is gathered from Halifa Sallah that documentation, which shall also be shared with the media, is under preparation for the TRRC which will be followed by a request to appear before them to present the documents and answer any question for further elucidation to enable the Commission and people to have a better understanding of the takeover and the transition.”
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