A Gambian police chief has on Monday confessed to lying to the country’s Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC). Assistant police Commissioner Gorrgi Mooob, has admitted to being a serial liar. He says he lied to the Commission about the role he had played in quelling a student demonstration back in April of 2000 under dictator Jammeh’s rule. Fourteen students were killed during that protest march, including journalist Pa Omar Barrow.
Police Commissioner Gorrgi Mboob has also confessed to lying to a Commission of inquiry that was set up during dictator Yahya Jammeh’s rule and the recently formed TRRC. Mboob is the Commander of Gambia’s anti-police crime unit force. He had served the force for over thirty years. Mboob had also admitted to lying to the TRRC investigators including his Monday testimony.
It was back in April of 2000, when Mboob was accused of taking part in quelling a student demonstration, which led to the massacre of fourteen students, including the killing of journalist Pa Omar Barrow. Barrow was also a Red Cross Volunteer. Dozens of students were also brutally injured with gunshot wounds.
Mboob had claimed that he was coached by his superiors at the police to lie to the previous Commission that was set up under Jammeh’s rule to investigate the student killings. He says he was warned by Sankung Badjie, the former Deputy Inspector General of police not to relate the true story about what had transpired.
Mboob says he had wanted to adduce in evidence about what happened on April 10th, 2000 but was told that if he ventures into naming names or disclosing his role on the incident, he would live to regret it. He complied with his superiors’ instructions. He adds that Jaye Sowe, a former police chief, who now lives in the United States witnessed his conversation with DIG Sankung Badjie.
Mboob and his co accused security colleagues were later granted amnesty by dictator Yahya Jammeh. They were indemnified from prosecution.
Mboob repeated the same lying pattern during his Monday appearance at the TRRC. While answering questions from Lead Counsel Essa Faal, the police chief confessed to lying to the Commission about his testimony on the Saint Augustin High School incident. He had initially denied illegally entering the school, where he open fire at students. He also assaulted the physical education teacher Mr. Sabally.
Mboob told the TRRC Chairman Dr. Lamin Cise that if he had refused to comply with his superiors’ orders to lie to the then Lartey Commission, he was going to be fired from his work.
Also grilling the witness, was TRRC Commissioner Adelaide Sosseh. Mrs. Sosseh put it to Moob that Mr. Sabally had never behaved towards him amazingly to warrant he (Mboob) to assault Sabally. Mboob in response agreed. He admitted to unlawfully assaulting Sabally. He says he had regretted his actions. He promises not to repeat it. He even apologized to Sabally and his victims.
Mboob has promised to live by the TRRC’s Never again mantra. He called on his colleagues to avoid executing illegal orders.
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