A comprehensive five page letter dispatched to Gainako yesterday has revealed serious infighting within Gambia’s Intelligence agency – the State Intelligence Services (SIS) formerly the NIA. The explicit letter written by a senior intelligence officer accused the current Director Ousman Sowe and others of tampering with evidence of crime by ordering the repainting of an alleged torture chamber which had blood stains from NIA brutal tortures. The officer alleged that the late Solo Sandeng and others were tortured in that chamber which is now painted and removed to hide those evidence. The writer went further to give evidence that he reported the matter to other senior officials and the Director Ousman Sowe telling him that removing those physical evidence while an investigation is on going tantamount to tampering with evidence. Director Sowe in response told the officer that his decision to move the chamber was part of his reform agenda.
The SIS officer Bubacarr A.M.O Badjie who identified himself as a Deputy Director outlined several grievances and problems he has had with Director Ousman Sowe and some of the decisions he had made since taking over the agency. Among his alleged problems was a request to be allocated equal fuel allowance that is being provided to his associates. He wrote “When I wrote a memo wherein I requested equal weekly fuel supply and monthly allowances as my fellow Deputy Directors, Saadi Gassama, Mariatou Janko, Ousman Jallow, Omar Bojang and my junior assistant Director Abdou Jallow, DG Sowe responded by recommending the promotion of Saadi Gassama, Mariatou Janko, Ousman Jallow, and Abdou Jallow. This was approved thereby denying my request” Mr. Badjie reported that DG Sowe removed him from police investigative unit attachment as a result of a report he had provided to the Police which relates to material evidence he had seen and witnessed from the notorious NIA operations during the Jammeh era. Mr. Badjie went further to outline a series of disagreements and discussions he had with DG Ousman Sowe.
One of the most serious allegation Mr. Badjie labelled against Director Sowe is the alleged infiltration by NIA officer Saidu S Bah on the UDP party during the election campaign and the impasse. Mr. Bah “even became a body guard to your excellency during the campaign and during the political impasse and shortly after your assumption of office as President” Mr. Bah according to the report is said to have returned to his normal duties at the SIS and have since been promoted from officer to Operative reporting directory to DG Sowe.
Another startling revelation Mr. Badjie reported is that “More than 60% of SIS personally are functionally illiterate”. Most of these according to the report were recruited by former Director Generals of the NIA, former Army Generals and Pa Bojang cousin to former Dictator Yahya Jammeh. Mr. Badjie said the concern is that these agents cannot properly write or read the official English language. He recommended that first thing DG Sowe could have done was to conduct a study of the architecture of the agency with a goal to reform the Agency to better handle threats such as terrorism, espionage and other regional threats. The letter was addressed to President Barrow and copied to the Director General Ousman Sowe and the Gambia Bar Association. Gainako will share the full five page report for readers to digest on this looming rift within the intelligence agency.
As customary of us at Gainako and inline with our line of work, when we receive such letters from an individual citizen we embark on further investigation to ensure that this wasn’t only from a disgruntled employee making allegations against others as it was rampant during the dictatorship. Our preliminary investigations revealed that Mr. Badjie is a credible intelligence officer and his letter indeed has very valid points. Our sources we contacted close to the SIS indicated that Mr. Badjie despite perceptions that he may be from the Jammeh tribe, he is in fact a very trust worthy and intelligent officer who has refused to be used by the former government. The source further indicated that although Mr. Badjie may have been tempted to make the allegations for personal grievances as outlined in his write up, his point of DG Sowe ordering the painting and removal of an alleged torture chamber while former NIA Senior officials’ case and investigations are on going appears to be an act of tampering with evidence.
Our additional findings also stressed that the Jammeh era of favoring officers close to leaders and promoting folks base on loyalty instead of merit is still alive in Gambia’s intelligence body and other security apparatus. “This is an epidemic of corruption and nepotism that needs to be weeded out by the Barrow administration” our source added. Another serious issue we uncovered is the division within the SIS officials who are adamantly oppose to the retention of former top Jammeh operatives within the agency. Some of these people were alleged to have been there and not only witnessed the atrocious crimes committed but were used by the senior leadership to carry out illegal acts.
Mr. Badjie among others are believe to be very unhappy that the Barrow government has decided to retain these people within the SIS. They see those people as part of the rotten system that must be eliminated to give the New Gambia a chance to pave a new path forward. Our sources further indicated that President Barrow and his government are making serious mistakes by retaining folks not only within the security apparatus but other pertinent government departments like the civil service. For the new Gambia to have a chance the government must listen to grievances such as Mr. Badjie’s and conduct a thorough investigation into the allegations. If Director Sowe himself an alleged victim of several arrest and detention during the Jammeh regime is found wanting and compromising evidence, the administration must take steps to replace him. The Barrow government must desist from rewarding people because they were victims without properly ascertaining the facts and act base on evidence..
Below is the full five page letter written by Bubacarr A.M.O Badjie
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