By Adama Makasuba
A junior navy officer accused of masterminding a foiled coup plot last December has been found guilty of treason and sentenced to 12 years in prison.
On Tuesday, a high court judge, Justice Basirou Mahoney, ruled that Lance Corporal Sanna Fadera planned and attempted to overthrow the democratically elected government of President Adama Barrow unlawfully. Authorities had charged Fadera and seven other soldiers with treason, conspiracy, and inciting mutiny for their alleged role in the 2022 coup attempt. The court acquitted three other military officers. One of the suspects has been on the run since the foiled coup attempt and is considered a fugitive.
The court also acquitted a police officer and two civilians who had been charged with concealing treason and conspiring to commit a felony
Justice Mahoney said the prosecution could not prove the offense of treason against Gibril Darboe and the concealment of treason against Ebrima Sano and Babucarr Jawara. He said the evidence of prosecution witnesses 4 and 7 is evidence of accomplices, and he cannot convict on the evidence of accomplices, noting that there were accomplices who were not charged. He, therefore, found Sana Fadera guilty of treason on count one and accordingly acquitted the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th accused persons of betrayal and acquitted Sanna Fadera on the mutiny charge. Before passing the sentence, Defense Lawyer LS Camara urged the court to tamper with justice with mercy, impose a lesser punishment on Sanna Fadera, and admit the other accused persons to bail, noting that the accused persons have just gone through a terrible moment in their lives.
The DPP, A M Yusuf, told the court that the penalty for treason is death or life imprisonment and urged the court to impose either of the two for Sanna Fadera. DPP Yusuf cited section 285(e)(2) of the CPC and asked the court to remand the other accused person, noting that the state intends to appeal the court’s decision. Meanwhile, Justice Mahoney accordingly sentenced Sanna Fadera to twelve years imprisonment and admitted the three accused persons to bail in the sum of D100.000 with one Gambian surety. Before President Barrow came to power, the West African country was governed for two decades by Yahya Jammeh, who seized power in a coup in 1994 and foiled several attempts to overthrow him before he lost the 2016 election.
