Former justice minister Lamin Jobarteh has launched a strong denial over claims he cut the nipple of Balo Kanteh, a former rebel commander.

Kanteh was tortured after he was arrested when he and his fellow rebels attacked the Farafenni camp as part of a plan to overthrow former president Yahya Jammeh 17 years ago.

Kanteh who is now 55 years old told the TRRC in December last year his father was made to look on as he got stripped and tortured at the NIA. He had been shot on the leg.

“They removed my underwear and tied my hands and legs. Joe Mendy, Babadinding Jobarteh and Foday Barry then stood over me and started dripping hot plastic on me for me to talk,” he told the TRRC before proceeding to accuse former justice minister Lamin Babadinding Jobarteh who was then an investigator of cutting his nipple.

“That’s what they were doing and Babadinding Jobarteh cut of one of my nipples with a razor blade,” he alleged.

Jobarteh got his chance to respond to the claims on Thursday when he appeared before the TRRC and he insisted throughout he never laid a finger on Kanteh.

“I did not touch his nipple talk less of cutting it,” he said.

“The tortures Balo put on me happened to him in Liberia, so I Allah will judge between him and I,” he added.

Kanteh is a former rebel commander who fought for former Liberia leader Charles Taylor during the Liberian civil war of the 90s.

Senegal has placed four suspected terrorists under custody over charges of criminal conspiracy, advocating terrorism and supporting terrorism.

Demba Sow, Amadou Borry Diallo, Belko Diall and Siradji Labor were arrested between January 20 and 22 in Kidira, eastern Senegal, Senego reported on Thursday. Investigators linked them to Jihadist Amadou Diallo alias Amadou Koufa who is the head of Katiba Macina organisation.

A search of the bedroom of one of them, Demba Sow, enabled investigators to locate five cell phones which led investigator into discovering Sow is a member of several Whatsapp groups that advocate Jihad, according to Senego. Images of the execution of “disbelievers” were found there and eight other phones, with similar images, were discovered in Siradji Labor’s store, Senego reported.

Siradji Labor is suspected of having links with the Macina Liberation Front led by the Peul jihadist Amadou Kouffa. The investigating gendarmes believe they were recruiters for the branch of Ansar Dine in central Mali.