By: Hadram Hydara

The Chairperson of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Human Rights and Constitutional Matters, Honourable Madi Ceesay, who is also an elected National Assembly Member (NAM) of the main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP), has stated that the Gambia government needs to reduce its spending in order to make progress, as the country’s resources are limited, pointing out that funds meant for development are being redirected towards travel and rent expenses, instead of being invested in development sectors.

Madi expressed concerns about the Gambian government’s excessive spending on travel and rent, both within and outside the country.

In 2020, as per the figures obtained by The Fatu Network from a source close to the Finance Ministry, the government spent D54.9 million on rent within the country, and this amount increased to D63.5 million in 2021 and D66 million in 2022.

For offices located outside the country, such as embassies, the government spent a total of D212.8 million on rent in 2020, D182 million in 2021, and D194.3 million in 2022. Over the course of three years, the government spent a total of D184.5 million on rent for offices located within the country and D589.1 million on rent for embassies. Overall, the government spent a combined total of D773.5 million on rent, both inside and outside the Gambia.

“My reaction to government’s spending has always been this, from day one when I went to parliament, I said the government needs to its expenditure because our resource envelope is tiny.

“If we want to be progressive, we must watch our expenditures,” he said.

Instead of prioritizing investing in development projects, he criticized the government for prodigal spending on overseas travel and rent, suggesting that overseas travel be curbed to address the issue.

“Monies that are supposed to go to development sectors are not going to development sectors. Rather, it is going into expenses like travel and rent.

“And how we can curb that is for government to limit the travels, and also downsize the delegations that travel, whether it is to UN meetings or AU meetings; government needs to downsize the number to cut the expenditure of travels,” Mr Ceesay told The Fatu Network, adding that “Travel expenditures are pegged on air tickets, per diems, hotel accommodations, so if the number is limited, then the spending would also be limited”.

By: Muhammed Lamin Drammeh

Following the sentencing and fine of three female circumcisers in the Gambia last week, several National Assembly Members (NAM) of the Gambia, including some women lawmakers, today frowned at the banning of female genital mutilation/circumcision in the Gambia, calling for a repeal of the law, suggesting that it should be a matter of choice instead of a criminal act.

The National Assembly Member for Baddibu Central, Sulayman Saho, moved the motion of the day and read a statement against the banning of FGM, noting that it has brought discomfort to society.

Honourable Saho noted that it should be a matter of choice instead of arresting people and bringing them before the courts.

“Hon. Speaker, we need dialogue on this matter instead of arresting our mothers and sisters to be arranged before the courts. This is creating discord among us.

In my opinion, it should be a matter of choice instead of banning it because of funding received from the West. If you are of the opinion that to help the women, why not support them with materials for sanitation? Banning the act is like a recipe for discord in our society,” he said.

On her part, the National Assembly Member of Foni Brefet, Honourable Amie Colley, who said she was speaking for the people of Foni Brefet, explained that the women in her constituency said they do not support the law prohibiting the practice of female circumcision.

“As a Muslim woman, I am ashamed to stand in the August gathering to talk about circumcision, to talk about the secret of women.

I am speaking with the voice of the people from Foni Brefet and Gambia at large. My people said they don’t like the idea of banning female genital mutilation. What they want is to let this practice be neutralized. If any tribe wants to practice circumcision, you do it. If you don’t want to, leave it,” she submitted to the parliament.

Several other National Assembly Members, including the member of Latri Kunda Sabiji, Kiang West, Brikama South, and nominated member Fatoumatta Jawara, all submitted against the banning of the FGM.

Female Genital Circumcision has been banned in the country by the former President, Yahya Jammeh. However, it has recently generated controversy when some women were arrested for practising it.

No member of the parliament disagreed with the motion moved by Sulayman Saho, against the banning of the practice. The members are not working on repealing the act.

By: Hadram Hydara

Deputy Youth Advisor to President Adama Barrow, Lamin K. Saidy, has urged the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Interior Ministry to take necessary action against the United Democratic Party (UDP) National Assembly Member (NAM) Madi Ceesay, who shared a photo of a police officer on his Facebook Story with a caption seemingly calling for people to find him and ensure he “pays the price”.

Saidy has called for Ceesay to be brought to justice and punished for his actions.

“Madi Ceesay, a sitting National Assembly [Member], circulating a violent message targeting a police office is worrying and the Minister of Interior and IGP should act to protect serving members of [the] police.

“The write-up of high contained strong and aggressive wordings called on UDP supporters to attack a named police officer,” Saidy said.

Mr Saidy called for disciplinary action against Madi by parliament and the state. He added that Madi, unlike others, knows the complaint mechanisms at the Gambia Police Force (GPF) which can be used if dissatisfied with a police officer.

He urged UDP supporters to not take the law into their own hands.

“While I called Madi to justice, I want to urge supporters of UDP to give the law a chance. We are governed by laws and that should be respected by all irrespective of one’s political affiliation,” he said.

He further added: “The UDP had dragged the government and the President to court in the past and no one from the side of the President reacted in such a manner.

“I called on UDP leadership to please advise their supporters to allow the courts to do their work”.

Madi Ceesay, who is also the Chairperson of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Human Rights and Constitutional Matters, emphasized that he had no involvement in the creation of the original photo and message, stating “I neither wrote it nor have anything to do with it. I just saw it and shared it, that’s all.”

By: Muhammed Lamin Drammeh

Shortly after his sedition court case hearing at the Magistrate Court in Banjul, presided over by magistrate M.L. Thomasi, Yankuba Darboe, the Chairman of the Brikama Area Council (BAC), has said he will sue the Inspector General of Police and the Gambia government to the ECOWAS Court for violating his right to freedom of expression. 

Darboe, whose sympathizers and supporters stormed the capital in a bustling crowd yesterday during the court hearing, posted on his Facebook wall that he will not “retreat” or “surrender”, and that “the struggle will continue”.

“No retreat [,] no surrender! The struggle continues!!!” he wrote.

Yankuba, a UK-trained lawyer, who is facing sedition charges for allegedly using inappropriate language against the Gambian Judicial System and the country’s President Adama Barrow, announced that he plans to sue the Inspector General and others in the ECOWAS court. This will mark the second time that the Gambia has been sued in that court for sedition.

“After their sedition case, it will be my turn to sue them to the ECOWAS court for transgressing my rights to freedom of expression! It will be the second time Gambia is sued to that court for sedition! They lost the first one and paid millions in costs!” Darboe said.

The sedition charges brought against Yankuba Darboe were initiated after his involvement in the famous 3 Years Jotna protest, which later turned out to be a court case. The case was later dismissed but Yankuba, outside the courtroom, was accused of using inappropriate language against the Gambian judicial system.

The case has now gathered public attention. After the sitting on Thursday, September 7, the case has been adjourned to the 25th of September for continuation.

By: Alieu Jallow

During the Local Government Commission of Inquiry, the branch manager of Vista Bank in Brikama, Abdoulie Saidykhan, testified that Lamin Suso, the Finance Director of Basse Area Council, withdrew an amount of one hundred and forty-one thousand dalasi (D141,000) from Vista Bank on behalf of the council, which was not authorized by the council’s CEO, Ousman Touray.

The witness narrated two incidents where Suso visited the Vista Bank branch to carry out financial transactions for the council. On the first occasion, according to the witness, Suso withdrew one hundred and forty-one thousand dalasi from the council’s account and on the second occasion, Suso presented a cheque of fifty thousand dalasi (D50,000) to withdraw from the council’s account.

Mr Saidykhan revealed that during the withdrawal process, his bank received a call from the council’s CEO, Ousman Touray, claiming that he did not authorize the transaction.

“CEO Touray told me that one of the signatures on the cheque was his, but the other signature was not his,” Saidykhan said.

During the testimony, the witness stated that the transaction had been terminated and the bank system had reversed it. When Suso inquired about the cancellation of the transaction, the witness said he informed Director Suso to contact CEO Touray as he claimed that he had not authorized the withdrawal.

“When I told him to call the second signatory, he [Lamin Suso] left,” the witness said.

The witness said CEO Ousman Touray came to the Vista Bank Brikama branch to request the cheque that Suso brought, but he was told it was given back to Suso.

“The CEO came purposefully to collect the D50,000 cheque. I told him that we gave the cheque to Lamin Suso,” the witness said.

During the hearing, the witness informed the Commission that the CEO, Mr. Touray, stated that he couldn’t recall signing the withdrawal of the cheque worth D141,000. The witness conducted a thorough search in the archives and was able to trace the transactions that took place on 22 September 2022.

“He [CEO Touray] told me that the signature on top of the cheque is mine, but he cannot verify the one below. He said it [signature below] looks similar to his signature,” the witness said.

He also informed the commission that Suso wasn’t questioned about this transaction because he was also a signatory and equally the Finance Director of Basse Area Council. He added that in October, Lamin Suso came back to their bank with a cheque for fifty thousand dalasis (D50,000) which belonged to the Council.

He went on to inform the commission that while they were processing the money for Suso, they received a call from their Basse branch that the CEO of Basse Area Council had called them informing them that he had received a notification of D50,000 being cash from the councils account and that he was not aware of approving it.

He said CEO Touray said the transaction they are chasing for Lamin Suso was not signed by him, adding that this was when they stopped the process and informed Suso who was by then in their bank.

The witness went on to say the last time he gave Suso money was last week. He added that he gave Suso D1000 because he said times were hard and he needed support.

The witness said the four cheques were transactions in two (2) years. He testified that Suso was paying him cash and the cheques were never cashed. The witness reiterated that his bank does the verification for transactions above D50,000

When asked by Commissioner Oreme E. Joiner if it sounded interesting that both Suso and Touray would leave Basse and come all the way to Brikama to seek financial help, the witness said he has a cordial relationship with Suso, and it was Suso who introduced the CEO Touray to him, adding that he came to know CEO Touray when he came looking for money to bail his nephew detained at the Mile II prisons. “I gave him D95,000 cash,” the witness said.

The witness said the CEO repaid the money within three (3) weeks. He added that it was the last favour he made to CEO Touray.

By: Muhammed Lamin Drammeh

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad, Dr. Momodou Tangara, has said that the Gambian government has not signed any bilateral agreement with the Federal Republic of Germany regarding deportation but, according to him, the deportation of Gambians is based on a document signed between the Gambia and the European Union (EU) in 2018, which was forwarded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during the tenure of Lawyer Ousainou Darboe as the country’s foreign affairs minister.

During a parliamentary session today, Dr. Tangara, the minister of foreign affairs, answered questions from lawmakers regarding the country’s foreign policy and when asked by the National Assembly Member for Busumbala about the reason behind Gambians being deported back to the country, the minister explained that the government of The Gambia signed a memorandum of understanding with the European Union in 2018 as part of a migration program proposed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“The document that led to the deportation of Gambians is a document agreed upon by the Gambia government and the European Union in 2018, and that’s part of the migration programme.

“When in 2018 the European Union first came to the Gambia following the change of government, it was agreed upon in 2018 and it’s between the Gambia and the European Union,” he said.

When asked if it was, in fact, signed and who signed it, the minister responded: “It is not an agreement. It is an MoU and the message conveying our agreement and the said agreement was forwarded by the ministry of foreign affairs in 2018. It is easy to verify who was the minister in 2018,” Tangara said.

The agreement between the European Union and the Gambia over the deportation issue has been a subject of debate in the country. Recently, some Gambians have been deported by the German government, a country in the European Union.

When the minister was asked if the government of the Gambia has a bilateral agreement with the Federal Republic of Germany, he replied that there is no such agreement with Germany, despite the improved relationship between the two countries.

“I would like to clarify to this August Assembly that, the Gambia government has not signed any bilateral agreement with the Federal Republic of Germany concerning any sector or any subject area and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad is not aware of any such agreement document between the two countries,” he said.

The minister further informed the parliament that his ministry is working to cooperate with the Spanish government and Italian authorities over seasonal migration because migration has existed and is part of human history.

He acknowledged that deportation of Gambians is not the solution but equally stated that those found to be Gambians cannot be rejected by the government of the Gambia when the country they are living in wants to deport them back to the country.