By Alhagie Jobe
Justice Edrissa Fafa M’bai, the president of the Gambia Court of Appeal has been removed, reports indicate.
Mr M’bai who served in various capacities in the judiciary, the latter of which was a High Court judge was in May 2015 appointed as acting president of the Gambia Court of Appeal and later confirmed as President of The Gambia Court of Appeal.
No official reasons was advanced for the removal of Mr M’bai but judicial sources has hinted that it’s in relations to opposition UDP leader Ousainou Dabor and Co case. It’s reported that the defense counsels for Mr Darboe and Co seek Justice M’bai’s intervention for the accused persons be granted bail by the machinery judges as their charges are bailable.
The opposition UDP members who were arrested since April 14 & 16 respectively and slapped with politically motivated charges has since been denied bail on several occasions and detained at the dirty state Central Prison of Mile II.
Other resignations
Meanwhile, there are reports that the Secretary to the general legal council Barrister Yassin Senghore has tendered her resignation today following a similar move by Bar Association President, Loubna Farage earlier.
No reason(s) has been advanced for both resignation but judicial source said is in relations to the opposition UDP leader and Co trial which has not only sparked outrage in the country but in the international community as its described as a political case.
Mr Darboe and 19 others were back in court today, Thursday amid unprecedented number of supporters’ presence in court. The opposition supporters, family members and sympathizers went wild and screamed their names as gallants, prompting the security to warn that they would not allow people in court in the next adjourned date.
Meanwhile, Mai Ndure, the wife of Mr Darboe spoke outside the court today and said: “My husband is a good man. He is not a tribalist and his life has always been punctuated with sacrificing for the people. I am not Mandinka but I am honoured to marry a man like him and a Mandinaka” she said.
