A Gambian army sergeant, Karamo Jatta, yesterday told the High Court in Banjul that he was told by Lance Corporal Sanna Fadera that a one-year transition would be executed had the alleged coup succeeded.

Lance Corporal Sanna Fadera is the alleged ring leader of an alleged coup plot to overthrow Adama Barrow’s administration and is being tried for treason and related charges together with four others.

The others indicted with Sanna are Sergeant Gibril Darboe, Corporal Ebrima Sannoh, Corporal Omar Njie of the Gambia Armed Forces and Fabakary Jawara, a sub-police inspector.

Karamo Jatta, a military sergeant with over 22 years of military experience is currently stationed at the Farrafenni Barracks in North Bank Region. Jatta first testified before the court last week.

In yesterday’s testimony, he told the court that Sanna relayed to him that the coup would be taking place in December 2022 or January 2023 latest.

“He said that he went to one Marabout in Mali, who is doing what we called in local language ‘Khalwa’. When the Marabout finishes and gives them the go-ahead, then the coup will be launched. He also stated that they had one year transition period,” Mr Jatta revealed to the court.

“In my own understanding, if a Marabout is doing ‘Khalwa’, he goes inside a room without coming outside for days or weeks. That is what I can understand,” the witness explained.

“I know I am not going to be part of it, because this is something illegal,” he stated in response to why he was using third person plural ‘they’ and not ‘we’.

“I reported to the higher authorities. I reported on 12 December. It was after the meeting, when he came to my house in Farafenni.

Sergeant Jatta also explained to the court that a section consists of 9 to 10 soldiers maximum, while a platoon has over 30 men.

“Also, during the course of your testimony, you said you made a telephone conversation between you and 1st accused Sanna Fadera? Can you remember the number you used?” asked state prosecutor A.M. Yusuf.

The army sergeant answered that he could. On the numbers used by accused Sana Fadera to call him (witness), the witness said he could not remember the numbers exactly. He, nonetheless, maintained that they were two different Africell lines.

The court heard from the witness that his mobile phone was left with the investigators, following the thwarting of the alleged coup plot.

A series of exhibits were borrowed from the court by the prosecution, which were handed to the witness. The witness confirmed seeing the telephone number on some of pages of the exhibits.

Asked about a purported operational plan he had earlier alleged to have been shown by Sanna Fadera, the witness said he could identify it. The document (exhibit P11) was tendered by the prosecution and placed before the witness.

He affirmed the document being the one that was shown to him by accused person Sanna in Farafenni: “It is the exact copy. The heading and the operations are all the same.”

The prosecution also sought to borrow exhibit P11, the witness’s mobile phone that he had claimed using to take pictures of the purported operational plan.

The witness also identified the mobile phone before the court as his, which he eventually switched on and showed the court pictures of the purported operational plan.

The case was adjourned to Thursday at 1 pm.