The embattled former Inspector General of Police, Ensa Badjie continues to insist that all the charges preferred against him are malicious, fabricated and meant to destroy his life.Ensa Badjie was speaking whilst giving evidence on the second day of his defence before the Special Criminal Court in Banjul, presided over by Justice Emmanuel Nkea.

It would be recalled that the ex-IGP Ensa Badjie, Mam Mattarr Secka and Kuluteh Manneh are standing trial on multiple charges ranging from conspiracy to do an act with a seditious intention, sedition, abuse of office, obtaining money by false pretence, official corruption and economic crimes, amongst others.

In his evidence, Ensa Badjie told the court that he had never met one Ikemefuna D. Chukwu, neither has he collected any money from him. The ex-police boss said he only met the said Ikemefuna when he was brought before the panel.Badjie pointed out that the said Ikemefuna never testified before the court. Badjie further pointed out that when he met him before the panel, Ikemefuna had revealed that he gave his money to Sillaba Samateh.

“Even his statement at Kotu Police Station he maintained that, it is not that I collected 11, 500 Euros from his or any butut,” Badjie remarked. “I have never ever said that the president has given me drugs to sell and I have never collected money from Ikemefuna or set eyes on him and my lord my portfolio as the IGP cannot be downgraded to that. I was comfortable with what I was paid -D20, 000, D25, 000 per month. All the charges are malicious, fabricated and meant to take me out of my office,” he said.

The former police boss told the court that the testimonies of one Willy Abraham were correct. He adduced that he had never begged the said Willy Abraham for anything in his life adding that the clearance that Willy Abraham obtained was given to him unconditionally.

The ex-IGP adduced that Amadou Samba is his friend and a brother. He revealed that Amadou Samba had never came to him for any official transaction, adding that the total number of cement bags Amadou Samba gave him is about 350 bags and they were in two fold, the 1st being 200 bags and the 2nd was 150 bags.

Badjie said Amadou Samba had called him to inform him that he wanted to see the project and he eventually took him there. Badjie noted that the said project was a construction project in Bijilo. He further said Amadou Samba was impressed and he (Samba) then asked him to send another truck to collect 150 bags of cement.

The ex-police supremo told the court that he had also sent a police truck to collect some cement bags from Amadou Samba on behalf of Ansu Jammeh, whose compound was opposite his compound. Ensa Badjie adduced that it was the said Ansu Jammeh that was building a storey building and not him.

Ensa Badjie disclosed that he first met Sillaba Samateh around February 2009, when he began the construction of his compound and he realised that someone was building near him. Badjie further disclosed that he went to borrow some 1/8 timber from him and then invited him to his residence.

He noted that Sillaba came with one Kawsu Gassama. Badjie revealed that on some other occasion, he saw the 3rd accused Kuluteh Manneh in Sillaba’s building site, but the 3rd accused waived him. Badjie also told the court that he also borrowed an akro jack from Sillaba and thereafter he (Badjie) left for Spain, Italy and finally to Taiwan to attend a course in the Taiwanese Military School, but after returning from his trip, he returned the said akro jack. Badjie revealed that he had seen Mam Mattarr Secka at Sillaba’s building site.

Badjie adduced that he had never told Sillaba Samateh that the president has a certain quantity of cocaine. He referred the court to a statement obtained from Sillaba Samateh on the 2nd and 4th November 2009 at the police headquarters in the case of Habibu Mbye, Charles Okeke before the Banjul Magistrates Court. Badjie adduced that in the said statement, Sillaba Samateh never mentioned meeting him, the 2nd and 3rd accused, that he had told him that the president gave him drugs for sale and nobody had given him money.

Badjie further adduced that both 2nd and 3rd accused persons are junior officers, adding that they are not friends and have never had any meetings with them. “They cannot sit where I am sitting, it is unethical,” he said.

Ensa Badjie disclosed that he knew about the allegation against Sillaba on the 2nd November 2009 after he led both the police and the NIA to carry out investigation. The former police boss said he was however called by the president who asked him to go to Minister Saho and meet Habibu Mbye who disclosed that Sillaba has been using his name on drugs.

He also narrated how he visited the then Minister Saho, and the DG NIA, present IGP Yankuba Sonko, OC Major Crime Malamin Ceesay, Samba Jallow of NDEA, one Mr. Jassey of NDEA, Habibu Mbye, Edriss and four other personnel from the NIA were present.

At the meeting, the then Minister Antouman Saho took out a cassette, a CD and a report endorsed by Habibu Mbye which focuses on Sillaba Samateh and not him and his co-accused persons.

Badjie adduced that when the cassette was played, neither his voice nor the voice of the other two accused persons were heard. He stressed that the voices of Sillaba Samateh, Nyima Ceesay, Sillaba Samateh’s 4-year-old son and one Ousman Bojang saying ‘let us have peace’ was heard in the said cassette. Badjie revealed that there was no mention of drugs in the cassette.

Badjie further revealed that Edriss himself had also identified the voices, adding that no words like drugs was mentioned in the cassette and that it was Edriss himself that said the big man, the big man on two occasions. Badjie however said that they listened to the said cassette about three times. Hearing continues.