COLORADO
A Gambian man previously residing in Denver, Colorado was arrested for torture charges stemming from inflicting pain and suffering people in his custody in Gambia in 2006, officials announced last week.
Michael Sang Correa, 41, a national of The Gambia, was indicted for one count of conspiracy to commit torture and six counts of inflicting torture on specific individuals
“Michael Correa allegedly committed heinous acts of violence against victim after victim in a brutal effort to coerce confessions from suspected coup plotters in The Gambia,” said Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These charges underscore that the United States will not be a safe haven for perpetrators of torture and that human rights violators will be held accountable and brought to justice.”
“Michael Correa’s case is another example of our commitment to pursue those who attempt to evade accountability for their actions by fleeing to the United States,” said Assistant Director David C. Shaw of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), National Security Investigations Division, who oversees the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center. “HSI will continue to investigate (the) perpetrators of torture, genocide, and other war crimes to ensure the United States does not serve as a safe haven for human rights violators.”
The indictment alleges that in 2006, Correa, a former member of a Gambian armed unit known as the Junglers, conspired with others to commit torture against individuals suspected of plotting a failed coup attempt against then-President Yahya Jammeh, and that he inflicted torture on six victims.
The Junglers were comprised of individuals who had been selected from the ranks of The Gambia Armed Forces (GAF) but operated outside the regular GAF chain of command.
The Junglers received orders from then-President Yahya Jammeh and answered to him.
In March 2006, the Jammeh government learned that people within The Gambia were attempting to overthrow the Jammeh government, according to officials.
The Jammeh government reacted by arresting numerous individuals believed to have been part of plotting the attempt to overthrow the Jammeh government.
Individuals who were arrested were taken to a prison known as Mile 2 Prison and to the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) Headquarters to be interrogated about their role in the coup attempt and were subjected to severe physical and mental abuses at NIA Headquarters.
The indictment alleges that during this time frame, in March and April 2006, the defendant and his co-conspirators severely and repeatedly beat their victims with their fists, feet, boots, and objects including plastic pipes, wires, and branches.
The co-conspirators sometimes covered the victims’ heads with plastic bags, restricting their ability to breathe, and subjected some victims to electrocution on various parts of their bodies.
The indictment further alleges that one victim was suspended over the ground in a rice bag and beaten severely by the co-conspirators. Others had molten plastic or acid dripped on their bodies.
The allegations in the indictment are merely accusations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.