A junior navy officer accused by The Gambia’s government of orchestrating a thwarted coup plot in December of the previous year has been found guilty of treason.
The high court’s ruling on Tuesday sentenced Lance Corporal Sanna Fadera to 12 years in prison, deeming him responsible for planning and attempting to unlawfully overthrow the democratically elected government led by President Adama Barrow.
The charges against Fadera and seven other soldiers included treason, conspiracy, and incitement to mutiny for their alleged involvement in the 2022 coup attempt.
However, the court acquitted three other military officers on Tuesday. One soldier implicated in the foiled coup attempt remains at large and is considered a fugitive.
Additionally, the court cleared a police officer and two civilians who had been charged with concealing treason and conspiring to commit a felony.
The Gambia experienced a significant political transition when President Barrow assumed office, ending two decades of rule by Yahya Jammeh, who had taken power in a coup in 1994 and successfully thwarted several coup attempts before losing the 2016 election.