Former Sud FM reporter says security officer shot Omar Barrow to death

By AMADOU MANJANG

Pa Momodou Faal, a witness before the Truth Commission has said that Omar Barrow was shot by security officers during the April 10-11 student demonstration when he was trying to help students that sustained injuries.

Faal former journalist at Sud FM radio station, Banjul branch, said he saw his editor in a bloody shirt when he visited his corpse at the mortuary in Banjul.

The 47-years-old journalist said Omar was shot by security officer near the Red Cross premises at Westfield on April 10, 2000.

He said Omar Barrow was an editor at Sud FM in Banjul at the same time rendering humanitarian assistance at the Gambia Red Cross Society.

Pa Modou make these revelations during his testimony before the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparation Commission (TRRC) on Tuesday, July 16, 2019 at Dunes Resort, Kololi.

He said he could remember seeing Omar Barrow in a blue shirt, adding that the brutal killing of his editor made him grief-stricken.

Faal who told the Commission that he was on the ground as reporter doing a live coverage for Sud FM at GTTI where the students for the demonstration.

He further explained that many students were maimed and killed by security personnel.

He said he followed the students to Westfield where the clash between them and the security occurred.

“I saw security officers at Westfield coming to the students. I was at the Gamtel. I saw live firing at the students,” he recalled.

He also said he reported over air that the security officers have started firing at the students that were running for their lives.

He said shortly after giving the news update, he saw security personnel coming toward him and he ran away and they chase him to GRST premises.

He added that he found two of his fellow journalists Alagie Joof and Jainaba Nyang at GRTS who hid him in a toilet away from the security personnel.

“When the security came in asking for me, they told them I was not there. They saved my life,” he told the commission.

The former GPU treasurer said he spent thirty minutes in hiding before leaving the premises, adding that when he was leaving the premises he had to jump over the fence for fear that the security officers might be at the gate waiting.

The witness said he went to GRTS radio station at Mile 7 to meet Peter Gomez and whilst on his way he saw one of his friends who informed him about the shooting of Omar Barrow.

‘I was confused,” he said, informing the Commission that he had to resign from Sud FM because anytime he entered the office he gots reminded about Barrow who was his mentor.

The Monitor

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