The highly anticipated trial of Michael Sang Correa, a suspected member of the Jammeh-era death squad known as the Junglers, has been postponed indefinitely.
Originally scheduled for Monday, September 16, 2024, the trial has been delayed due to ongoing legal motions. Correa faces torture charges in Denver, Colorado, related to events following the 2006 coup attempt in The Gambia.
According to the Centre for Justice and Accountability (CJA), Correa filed two motions—one to dismiss the case and another to delay the trial so his defense could secure testimony from two key witnesses in The Gambia. While the court rejected the motion to dismiss, it granted the delay to allow depositions from the witnesses, Momodou Hydara and Alieu Jeng.
Hydara, a former deputy director of the National Intelligence Agency (now the State Intelligence Services), and Jeng, a former state guard linked to the Junglers, are believed to have crucial information that could support Correa’s defense. Correa claims their testimony will show he was coerced into committing the alleged offenses under duress from then-president Yahya Jammeh.
Both Hydara and Jeng have declined to travel to the U.S. to testify unless granted immunity from prosecution, which the U.S. government has refused. As a result, Correa’s legal team will travel to The Gambia to record video depositions of their testimony, which will be used in court.
The court documents state that these testimonies are vital for Correa’s defense, as they provide insight into the threats of violence or death that Gambian soldiers faced if they disobeyed Jammeh’s orders. Without these depositions, Correa’s ability to defend himself would be severely compromised.
Although the delay is frustrating for the victims awaiting justice, the CJA emphasized the importance of allowing Correa a fair opportunity to present his case. The trial will resume once the depositions are completed.
