TRRC: Ex-Army RSM Confesses Mistreating Soldiers

Major Lamin Fatty has admitted to the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparation Commission (TRRC) that he had maltreated Momodou Njie a medic, ex-corporal Alagie Kebbeh and Abdoulie Trawally, in the aftermath of the November 11, 1994, dashed coup. Fatty is now a Major and second in command at the 1st Infantry Battalion, Yundum Barracks.

The events of the attempted coup according to the testimonies of several witnesses started on the 10th of November 1994 where over a dozen soldiers of the Gambian Army were killed at different places.

Major Fatty, a former bodyguard of Edward Singhateh one of the AFPRC council members, said in the night of the 10 November 1994 at around 10pm or 11pm, he left Fajara barracks and went to the house of then Lieutenant Edward Singhateh behind YMCA where he spent the night until the afternoon of Saturday (11 November) when his boss and his entourage returned to his house.

Major Fatty said the only time he left Lieutenant Singhatey’s house was after he (his boss) and his entourage left to go somewhere he did not know. Thereafter, Fatty said he left for Fajara Barracks.

Fatty said a list of people who were to be arrested on 11 November was brought to him at Fajara Barracks by Captain Peter Singhateh. Momodou Njie, the medic at Fajara Barracks was eventually brought in by two soldiers and he was asked to crawl, kicked, and then shot on the leg by Peter, he added. 

“While going to the clinic, I saw Njie coming with two soldiers I cannot remember. Then I joined them. I personally told Njie to crawl. While he was crawling, I kicked him. Peter kicked him. Peter shot him on his leg,” Major Fatty explained.  

He said he was surprised when Captain Peter shot Njie, because according to him, at that time and age, he termed the alleged coup plotters as people who wanted to bring trouble into the country.

“Taking arms and unseating a seating government that was what I was against. But I know at that time, that was too much,” he said, adding that he regretted his presence at the spot and being part of the operation to arrest Njie. 

Thereafter, on that same Sunday, Fatty said himself and Lieutenant Samba Batch went to ex-corporal Alagie Kebbeh’s house at Banjulinding to arrest him, which they did. He said Kebbeh was his close friend from whose house he used to eat.

Fatty said he found Kebbeh under his bed and dragged him out. But this was not what Kebbeh told the truth commission in his testimony on Tuesday. Kebbeh said he walked out of his house to the vehicle and was asked to get in the boot of the car. 

“I saw him under a bed and I dragged him out. I took him to the car. I personally opened the booth of the car. When I opened the boot of the car I told him to get in.”

Fatty said Kebbeh was stronger than he was and feared he might escape if he boarded the car. 

Fatty said it took the vehicle 20 minutes or less to transport Kebbeh to Yundum Barracks, but Kebbeh told the Truth Commission that he was in the boot for five hours.

Fatty admitted to having told Kebbeh’s wife that “this man is just your husband, you can get another husband tomorrow.”

He said Captain Peter made them to believe that if the coup succeeded, all the operatives were going to be killed which had impacted his conduct, doing things that were wrong.

Fatty said Abdoulie Trawally was also arrested in the same day, but he was not put in a boot.  The lead counsel Faal read a written statement of Trawally stating that he was arrested by Peter Singhateh and soldiers whom Fatty was among, then, put in a boot. Fatty denied this claim by Trawally.

Testifying further, Fatty indicated that he did not participate in the killing of soldiers at Seyfo forest. The lead counsel Essa Faal said the contrary, saying previous testimonies of witnesses before the truth commission placed Fatty at State House and Yundum Barracks.

But Fatty denied the allegations. Lead counsel Faal then asked the technicians to play the video of Lamin Senghor (The Assassin) who mentioned that Major Fatty accompanied Edward Singhatey and his entourage to State House. And it was that entourage that went to Yundum Barracks and later to Seyfo where nine soldiers were killed. Major Fatty denied this allegation.

Another witness, Alagie Kanyi who was involved in the killing of the nine soldiers in Seyfo forest, said Major Fatty was at Yundum Barracks on the 11 November, but Fatty denied this as well.

He said both witnesses were lying and intended to fabricate the facts. The third witness, Abdoulie A.J.J Darboe, also during his testimony said he saw Fatty at Mile II prison, but Fatty denied this as well.

Fatty has also denied maltreating or torturing Ebrima Chongan, Mamat Cham and others.

Commenting on the death of Koro Ceesay, Fatty said he was not involved but suspected his boss Lt. Edward Singhatey, because the following day of the incident, he saw Lt. Edward Singhateh administer bandage on his hand which could be linked to burning of the Koro Ceesay together with his vehicle in the forest.

Born in 18th February 1952 at Tambana in Jokadu District, Major Fatty said he joined the army in August 1987 and was enlisted in January of 1988. In 1994, Fatty said he was Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM). 

Meanwhile, the truth commission remembered the April 10 victims who were gunned to death by the PIU personnel and soldiers. The 14 students were massacred when they were protesting. Islamic and Christian prayers were on Wednesday offered to the victims led by commissioner Jallow and Commissioner Odico respectively.