TRRC: Musa Saidykan tells woes of broken hand, electrocution by NIA
Musa Saidykhan testifying before TRRC via Skype from the US
By PA ABDOULIE CORR
Musa Saidykhan, former editor-in-chief of The Independent newspaper has said that he was stripped naked at the headquarters of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) where his hands were broken three (3) times and his genitals electrocuted.
He said they stamped their feet on his hand until it was broken, adding that the electrocution of his genitals sent him to a comma.
Testifying before the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparation Commission (TRRC) via Skype, one time Daily Observer reporter explained that his hand had to be broken three (3) again in order to fix it properly.
He disclosed that he was arrested together with Madi M.K. Ceesay and were put behind a pickup and transported to the NIA headquarters in Banjul.
He stated that while at the NIA, he met two (2) Ghanaian boys who were illegally detained their without been brought before any court of law.
He explained how he started taking account of the story which nearly filled a notebook, saying that the NIA mounted a search and later found the book with him and seized it.
He stressed that the NIA were very upset with him after they found the notebook.
He revealed that the NIA tried by all means to implicate him to the point of sending young beautiful girls to seduce him, but to no avail.
Recalling his time at Daily Observer he told the TRRC that they (the reporters) of the paper resigned as staff due to former President Yahya Jammeh’s interference with the paper’s editorial board.
He said Jammeh was never pleased with seeing his photo lingering on top of The Daily Observer facing that of opposition leaders like Lamin Waa Juwara.
He further said Jammeh preferred seeing his photo alone on top of Daily Observer lead stories.
He recounted his previous arrest by a team of four (4) operatives from the NIA where he was whisked away and escorted to their headquarters.
Musa said upon arrival at the NIA he was interrogated by a panel who asked about his origin and after a short interrogation he went scot-free.
He said after his short released, he was informed that it was because of pressure from West African leaders who wrote a petition to the South African president, Tabo Mbeki to convey to ex-president Jammeh to release him failing which will lead to the boycott of the AU Submit to be held in The Gambia.
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