Tunisian navy rescued 54 migrants of different African nationalities off the country’s southeast coast, the defense ministry said in a statement released on Friday.

“The rescue operation took place 14 km southeast of the city of Zarzis in the province of Medenine,” said the statement.

The migrants are aged between 15 and 40, including three women, according to the statement, adding that they were attempting to sail from Libya towards the Italian coast.

Attempts of migration from the Tunisian coasts towards Italy usually multiply during the summer season because of favorable weather conditions. (XINHUA)

Suku Singhateh has explained the reason for why he renounced UDP and joined the National People’s Party.

Singhateh dramatically ditched UDP in February and quickly turned off all his phones. A tug of war then broke out between UDP and NPP over which party Suku really belonged to.

But speaking at Kerr Ardo in Lower Badibou on Friday, Suku said: “You know in the past I was supporting a government and that enabled me to do the things I did. When government changed, I was in UDP and we came here. But by then President Barrow was in UDP. And we told you, you should always support the government, it’s government that can do something (development).

“But today, UDP is not government. So if I had asked you to support government and for 22 years you stood by me, if I want to embark on any campaign, it should be based on that same thing. That we should support the government. And God has enabled us all to be supporting that government today. I’m in NPP.”

A man has been arrested after allegedly stabbing his father to death, according to people familiar with the issue.

One person sharing a video with The Fatu Network said the incident happened in Farafenni.

Watch video below…   

Three people have died after a fatal car accident on Thursday, according to people familiar with the issue.

Niamina West NPP MP Birom Sowe was travelling to his village on Friday for a quran recitation when his car got involved in an accident, according to Seedy Njie.

According to Njie, the accident happened Friday evening just after Soma.

It’s Sowe’s new pickup truck given to him by President Adama Barrow that’s involved in the accident.

Sowe himself sustained minor injuries.

The Thursday evening match between Marimoo and Gamtel was abandoned five minutes after kick-off after a power outage.

Marimoo and Gamtel’s match was quickly abandoned after the lights went off Thursday night.

Gambia Football Federation said in a statement on Friday: “The Gambia Football Federation regrets to inform the general public that the domestic first division match between Marimoo and Gamtel will be rescheduled to a later date.

“This is due to the fact that following constant power outage, in the Greater Banjul Area, only five minutes was played between the two sides under the floodlights at the Independence Stadium and upon restart, it didn’t take long for NAWEC to take off the lights again.

“This is after Elite United’s 2-1 defeat of Brikama United in the first match was delayed for 35 minutes due to the same issue. After frentic efforts to ensure NAWEC give us an exception, it proved futile and the decision was taken to call off the match by the Organising Committee. We will give you more information about the date and time of the rescheduled match when available. We apologise for any inconvenience.”

The Gambia Immigration Department on Friday confirmed the arrest of 37 people including women and children after busting their plan to travel to Spain on a boat.

GID spokesman Mamanding S Dibba said: “On Wednesday the 9th of June 2021, the GID received intelligence from our counterparts that a migrant group consisting of various nationalities are planning to embark on a perilous journey using the high seas to the Canary Islands in Spain.

“Our officers in collaboration with our sister forces, the SIS and the Gambian navy were able to work on this information leading to the arrest of nine people in Tanji and another 28 people in Gunjur, totaling to a sum of 37 people.

“Among them were three women, all of which were Sierra Leoneans and six minors, all of whom were Gambians.”

The United Democratic Party would not even welcome the vote of anyone who asks the party to support former President Yahya Jammeh, the party’s spokesman has said.

Almamy Taal told The Fatu Network exclusively: “We would not even welcome their votes. If they’re going to come and make the position that ‘you have to support Jammeh or you have to forget about Jammeh – that is the only condition we’re going to vote for you’.

“Quite frankly, I can tell UDP does not want those votes. That position is non-negotiable for UDP. It’s like asking for me to overlook something that is illegal, that is wrong, that is condemned universally and that is still in controversy.

“And I don’t also accept the premise… There is a very small minority of people who are committed, who are interested in white-washing the Jammeh era and Jammeh legacy. The stronghold of APRC or Jammeh’s stronghold is in Foni. The five constituencies of Foni, Sanimentereng alone has more voters than them, Kombo South has more voters than them.

“Our commitment is that Jammeh must face justice. But of course it would be difficult for a UDP government that has a serious programme for the Gambian people who are alive and here, to be expending capital in trying to go after Jammeh so that he meets the justice that he richly deserves. In fact our focus and our international efforts, diplomacy, will be directed towards strengthening the ICC, the International Court of Justice to make sure that characters like Jammeh face justice.”

The Embassy of The Gambia in Bissau said on Friday a Gambian citizen on a business trip in Bissau has died at his hotel.

Ebrima Solomon Marreh a native of Bwiam and resident in Busumbula met his sudden death last night at hotel CEIBA in Bissau, the embassy said in a statement.

“Late Marreh was on a business trip with some Arabs in Bissau barely for a week now. A very shocking news in Bissu as late Marreh was said to be with his partners up to midnight before he pass on.

“Arrangements are at the moment on to transport the body to The Gambia.  May his soul rest in perfect peace and Janatul Firdaws be his final abode,” the embassy said.

The mother of the alleged victim of rape in the rape trial of Bubacarr Keita brought the curtain down on her testimony by saying she held her former son-in-law as her own son.

“We had a good relationship. I held him as my own son,” the businesswoman told the high court in Bundung on Thursday when asked by prosecuting lawyers to describe her relationship with the accused.

The woman earlier on gave evidence on how she told Mr Keita’s sister she was also leaving after Mr Keita had walked out of their family meeting in Lamin.

“I then told Awa Nding I’m also leaving since he (Keita) has left. The reason [for this meeting] is to protect him but since he has refused, we are also going home,” she testified.

The prosecuting lawyer Alasan Jobe then sparked dissension from the defence when he said: “Now here you are, you were trying to protect the accused person, you were trying to discuss this at a family level and there he was acting all angry and in fact saying he was going to report to the police. Tell us what…”

The defence lawyer Lamin Camara while rejecting the remarks said: “Sorry My Lord, I will have to object to that submission. No one is trying to protect anyone. That is not the subject matter of this dispute, no one is protecting anyone.”

The judge then said: “Senior counsel your objection is noted. Under circumstances, you’re leading your witness, just lead her by asking her a single question at a time, you cannot impregnate your question and insinuate and make things.”

Returning, the prosecuting lawyer said: “Tell us what you did next?”

According to the witness, they entered her older daughter’s car and left for home. But they ended up at Bundung Police Station.

She testified: “We entered [older daughter’s] car when coming home and I told [older daughter] you can go home and in the morning I will come to the house for us to discuss but the kids said Bubacarr Keita said he will go to police, so we should also go to the police and report [lodge a complaint].

“We then came directly to Bundung Police from Lamin. When we came to Bundung Police, they asked us where we came from. We told them [older daughter] comes from Tabokoto, that’s where she is living her marriage and I live at Latrikunda. The police then said since it was in Tabokoto, we should take the case to Piccadilly police.

“Police then escorted us and asked us where Bubacarr Keita was. We told them he had gone home. We went to the house but we did not find him there. The police called him and told him we are here at your house. The police then told him ‘meet us at Piccadilly Police, we’ll wait for you there’. The police then escorted us to Piccadilly Police where we waited for Bubacarr.

“Bubacarr then came and met us there. They asked him but he denied, he did not impregnate the child. It was already late, around 4am and the police said we should go home and they left Bubacarr behind the counter. They told us we should come back around 10am in the morning. When we came back, they were speaking among themselves, going inside and coming out. They then said they would transfer the case to Banjul.”

The witness said the police did ask them questions and that they wrote their statements. She however said did not know who was writing the statement, though she knew he was a police officer.

In her final statement, the witness said she had a good relationship with Mr Keita whom she termed as her own son.

“You have come to the end of your testimony. I just want to ask you a general question. Tell us what was your general relationship with Bubacarr before this incident?” prosecuting lawyer Alasan Jobe asked.

“We had a good relationship. I held him as my own son,” the witness replied.

Mr Keita’s lawyer Lamin Camara then stood up and asked: “’My relationship with Bubacarr Keita is cordial, I termed him as my son’. Ma’am, you believed in your daughter’s allegation before hearing from your son. Is that correct?”

“I’d said I would sit with Bubacarr Keita and discuss with him,” the witness responded.

“Did you or did not believe in your daughter’s allegation before sitting down with Bubacarr Keita?” Camara quizzed again.

“Yes, because I asked her if she ever had an affair with any man and she said no. I believed her and I also didn’t believe her. That unless I sit and discuss with Bubacarr Keita. I did not want to believe it until after I had sat with Bubacarr Keita,” the witness replied.

“My Lord we can take a date but my question is still not answered but let’s take a date,” Camara reacted.

The case returns next week when cross-examination is set to continue.

The National Water and Electricity Company NAWEC has revealed the reason for the recent days of power outages across the country.

In a statement, NAWEC said: “NAWEC hereby informs the general public that the current electricity outage is caused by a network fault on the Mile2/Mile5 link causing Karpower engines to trip for protection. This is all due to the first rain of the season, with Wartsila and G1 at Brikama1 already on a planned maintenance.

“G5 Kotu is also shutdown today for a minor but necessary intervention and would not be available until tomorrow. We would like to reassure the public that our engineers are working round the clock to address this issue.

“NAWEC apologizes for the inconvenience this may cause and normal service will be restored as soon as work is completed.”

The international community must stay focused on achieving justice and peace for the people of Darfur, the outgoing Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court (ICC) told the Security Council on Wednesday.

In her final briefing to ambassadors, Fatou Bensouda underlined that the Court is the only institution that promised hope to victims of the brutal conflict in the Sudanese province.

“When this Council referred the Darfur situation to the ICC in March 2005, it brought hope to victims of atrocity crimes in Darfur by sending a clear message that justice was not only important in its own right but also with a multiplier effect in achieving sustainable peace in Darfur”, she said.

The ICC investigations center around allegations of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, committed during the fighting which began two years earlier between Government forces, backed by allied militia known as Janjaweed, and Darfur rebel movements.

Five arrest warrants were issued, including against President Omar Al-Bashir who was deposed in 2019 after 30 years in power.

Alleged former Janjaweed commander Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, also known as “Ali Kushayb” voluntarily surrendered himself to the ICC in June 2020 and his confirmation of charges was held last month.

Sudan has been moving along a path of political and economic transition, and last October the authorities and two Darfur armed groups signed a landmark peace agreement.

Ms. Bensouda recently led the ICC’s first mission to the country, and reported that the Court and the Government “have turned a new page in their relationship”.

Citing a new era of dialogue and cooperation, she added that investigators are preparing to travel to Darfur soon.

While the visit has rekindled hope, enthusiasm could easily be dampened “through our inaction or half-hearted, ineffective action,” she warned.

“The clear and consistent message I received from Darfur victims in El Fasher, Nyala and Zalingei is that the four outstanding warrants must be executed and that suspects must be handed over to the ICC”, she said, a message which she also stressed to officials during her visit.

The Prosecutor placed particular emphasis on the urgent need to transfer Ahmad Harun, a former Minister of State, to the Court.

“Almost all the suspects are in the custody of the Government of Sudan and there is no legal impediment to their surrender to ICC,” she said.

“In particular, credible reports and other information, indicate that Mr. Harun has expressed his wish to be transferred to the ICC. I appeal to this Council to prevail upon Sudan to immediately honor Mr. Harun’s wish and facilitate his transfer to the ICC without delay.”

Ms. Bensouda saluted the people of Darfur for their courage, perseverance, and unrelenting belief in the course of justice, and their support for the ICC, stating it was the only institution that promised hope to them, and other victims.

In concluding, she highlighted the Court’s importance to the international community.

“I often state that the creation of the ICC must surely be one of humanity’s proudest moments,” she said.

“It is because it represents an awakening rooted in great human suffering throughout the ages, culminating in the recognition that lawless wars and conflict must no longer receive a pass to cause human carnage.” (CGTN Africa With input from the UN News)

Bubacarr Keita’s attorney vowed on Thursday he would press a criminal case against any individual who tried to subvert the course of justice.

During Thursday’s two-hour session, respected lawyer Lamin Camara took a moment to complain that the first prosecution witness who is the accused person’s former wife was talking to her mother as the latter testified in the trial.

Camara said: “My Lord, can I raised something? Something serious is going on in the court. PW1 is talking to the mother from where we are and is prompting the mother. And this was the reason why I said the seat should be far away. And I’m not comfortable with that.

“This is not persecution. We are not here to persecute Mr Keita, we are here to prosecute Mr Keita with a view to finding the truth of what happened. We should be fair to him and we should be fair with the [alleged] victim. But we shouldn’t go the extra mile to try to prove the case by prompting the witness. That is unacceptable. And if I see anything like that again, I will be moving this court to a contempt hearing, a criminal case against any individual that tries to subvert the course of justice.”

The lawyer’s comments were met by a clap from a lady in the crowd but the judge quickly reacted that no one should clap in court.

“Madam you’re not supposed to be holding onto somebody, keep to yourself,” the judge then snapped at another lady who had placed her head on the shoulder of a man sitting by her.

The judge then said after asking the lady to move away from her mother: “I did not notice it, Allah knows that’s the truth. If I had noticed it, it could have been different. But since senior defence counsel has brought it to the notice of the court. And he has informed the court he would take the step of charging any such person for any further occurrence for contempt.

“If that happens, we will have no option than to try the person there and then. If anybody disrupts my court and I see you, I will just ask you out and you will not enter the courtroom again and that is if I’m calm. But otherwise I will try you myself for contempt immediately and if you are tried for contempt it means you may be taken to jail if you’re so convicted and sentenced.”

Binta Samura who was assisting the prosecuting lawyer Alasan Jobe then stood and said: “The state is deeply sorry and this is to apologise on behalf of PW2. But this is an issue that has been happening since yesterday. It’s not only on our side of our witnesses but you have other people that come to court and be making gestures.

“In fact I took it upon myself that today, if there is any of that sort it should be addressed. This is a court of law. As he rightly mentioned, nobody is here to persecute the accused person but instead prosecution should be done for the interest of justice.

“However, you can’t have counsel addressing and submitting and you have people talking or making gestures. I believe it’s a court of law and we should respect that. You can either listen or you avail us the door. But we apologise.”

And then the judge reacted: “Apology well noted. We want to say that this is the state’s case proceeding and gestures or occurrences might have been from the part of the state because it the witness of the state who has just been cautioned and has been moved from her seat and we accept the apology. But nonetheless any person who is found wanting for any breach we will try you for contempt.”

The mother of the complainant in the rape trial of Bubacarr Keita told the high court in Bundung on Thursday Keita said he wasn’t going to listen to the discussion and left during a family showdown in Lamin.

The businesswoman told Judge Momodou SM Jallow of a meeting she said took place in Lamin: “When we arrived, Awa Nding called him (Bubacarr) and told him [ex-wife] called her and told her this and that. That the reason she did not come to his house is that his mother was there and she didn’t want the issue revealed. Awa Nding told him ‘Bubacarr, [ex-wife] told me [victim] is pregnant, she said it’s you who impregnated her’.

“Bubacarr then came started shouting saying it’s not him and saying all sorts of things. I then told Awa Nding Bubacarr was throwing tantrums; that I was an elder and I went there just to make sure the issue doesn’t come out.

“Bubacarr then stood and said he would not listen to the discussion, since the talk was false talk, that we were accusing him. He then stood and said he would not ignore the issue and would go to police if we did not. He said he would go to police; [that] he would go to Observer (newspaper) and [that] he go to GRTS. His sister told him to sit down but he said he would not sit down and that he was going. He then left us there and went out and left.”

The businesswoman testified in the trial for the fourth and final time detailing how her older daughter told her she could not believe her sister was pregnant and said she would take her to the hospital.

“Yes, she ended up taking her,” the witness replied when prosecuting lawyer Alasan Jobe asked her if she did. The witness also said her older daughter called her and told her what she told her is true – that the younger daughter was checked and that she was indeed pregnant.

Keita’s lawyer had at the start of the session expressed concern over the ‘sitting plan’ of the witness insisting the witness should sit and face the judge. She did after the judge’s intervention.

According to the witness, her general state of mind after her daughter told her sister’s husband impregnated her was one of shame.

“At that time, I was gripped by shame,” she testified.

“Why were you ashamed?” prosecuting lawyer Alasan Jobe curiously asked.

“Because he was her elder sister’s husband and it would be a big shame if people hear about it,” the witness said.

According to the witness, she told her older daughter “we have to see what to do because this was going to be a shame if people learnt it”.

She added: “I then told [older daughter] we have to help her because she is a child. [Older daughter] said she also thought of it but when she told the doctor the doctor said it was late, the pregnancy was at an advanced stage.” When the prosecuting lawyer asked her to say what exactly she wanted to do, she said: “Just like I said, my plan was for us to sit and discuss and see what do you.”

“Tell us exactly what you wanted to do?” the lawyer asked again.

“Since the pregnancy had gone far, we wanted to sit and discuss, us and Bubacarr,” the witness replied.

“She hasn’t answered the question,” the prosecuting lawyer reacted, and added: “You said that you were very ashamed of this whole thing and you wanted to do something about it. What is that something you wanted to do about it?”

In replying, the witness said: “Since I got shame from the issue and the pregnancy was already out, I wanted us to sit and discuss.”

The judge, intervening, said: “What is ‘dumuna gayna? Interpret for her, what is that?”

The witness replied, through an interpreter: “It cannot come out because the pregnancy was advanced.”

“Tell her, so what was she intending to do if it had not come out?” the judge told the interpreter.

Keita’s lawyer then interjected: “I think we have a problem also with the way with interpret. Not ‘birr b gayna’ but ‘birr b fenyutonn’. And the other thing is that I think we can just proceed. At some point it looks like to me my learned friend is cross-examining the witness. Let’s take what the witness said.”

But Alasan Jobe responded: “I’m directing her.”

“What you want her to say, she doesn’t want to say that. You’re not cross-examining her,” Keita’s lawyer Camara countered.

The judge then said, pointing to the interpreter: “Tell the lady she had indicated she had intentions if at all the pregnancy was not out in the open. What were your intentions if otherwise?”

“What I wanted to do was to help my daughter and protect Bubacarr Keita,” the witness responded.

The witness testified elsewhere she had told her older daughter not to tell anyone about her younger daughter’s pregnancy but her older daughter told her she would tell Keita’s elder sister Awa Nding.

She said: “She told me she will call Awa Nding and inform her. I told her the reason I didn’t want you to tell Awa Nding is that I didn’t want many people to know about it, that we should keep it under the rugs and discuss with Bubacarr Keita if he closes. She then told me she too doesn’t want people to know it because if people hear that her husband impregnated my sister she would feel ashamed as they would look at her in that light.

“She told me the reason why she wanted to tell Awa Nding is that Awa Nding is reasonable and could advise her if she told her. She then told me not to be afraid, that the pregnancy will not be revealed, that she made her plan already.

“She said she would do something, [complainant] will go to school until she gives birth and she would say she is the one who gave birth. That she would be taking clothes and attaching them to her stomach. She told me not be afraid if she gives birth she would do it like that and if she spends two weeks at home, she can return to school.

“I then told her it was okay, she could tell Awa Nding. She called Awa Nding and told her. Awa Nding told her she should not say anything to Bubacarr, that she would call Bubacarr for him to go and answer to her at her house.

“When Bubacarr closed, she called me and said he had closed and [older daughter and wife of Keita at the time] was aiming veiled digs at him. I then told her to be patient, that I would come there in the morning. He told me what she is saying we could kill each other if we continue to live together. I then told him I would then have to try and come over though it was late. He then told me he was coming to pick me.”

By AFP

ECOWAS commission President Jean-Claude Kassi Brou said Wednesday the 15-nation West African bloc was “reassured” that Mali’s leaders intend to restore civilian rule in the Sahel state.

Brou travelled to Mali as part of a delegation from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), sent after Colonel Assimi Goita deposed the country’s civilian leaders on May 24.

Goita — who had already led a coup last August — was sworn in as Mali’s transitional president on Tuesday.

As well as appointing a civilian prime minister, the colonel promised to stage elections in February next year.

“On the key points, we were reassured by the transitional president and prime minister,” Brou told reporters in the capital Bamako.

May’s coup sparked diplomatic uproar, marking Mali’s second putsch in nine months.

President Adama Barrow appointed Oreme Joiner as the chairperson of the board of Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation.

In a statement on Thursday, State House said the appointment took place recently and it comes alongside the appointment of two others.

The presidency said: “In exercise of the powers vested in him under section 175(2) of the 1997 Constitution, His Excellency Adama Barrow, President of the Republic of The Gambia, recently made several high profile appointments.

“Mr Oremi Joiner has been appointed as the Chairperson of the Board of the Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation, while Mr Bai Ibrahim Cham, Director General of GAMWORKS, was appointed as Chairperson of the National Roads Authority – NRA.

“The President has also appointed Ms Fatou Jaw Manneh as Honorary Adviser on Strategic Communications, Development and Emerging Social Issues. All the appointments are with immediate effect.”

The president had previously appointment Mr Joiner as deputy chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission but quickly walked it back after it emerged the former banker was a member of the National People’s Party.

Matthew Langhenry from the United States government’s Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) visited Banjul between May 24 and June 5 to conduct consultations with the Gambian government, private-sector, international partners, and civil society as part of MCC’s relaunch of the development of a threshold program with The Gambia.

Mr. Langhenry’s visit was a precursor to MCC Board of Director approval of the proposed program, which will support The Gambia’s efforts to improve generation and delivery of electricity as a key component of economic growth, the US Embassy Banjul said in a news release on Wednesday.

The release added: “On Thursday, June 3, 2021, Mr. Langhenry and U.S. Ambassador Carl Paschall were warmly welcomed by Vice President Isatou Touray on behalf of President Adama Barrow. The Vice President expressed the Gambian government’s strong support for the partnership with MCC, and its intent to expedite completion of the agreement and launch of the threshold program.

“The MCC’s efforts will focus on improving reliable access to electricity, the lack thereof is a binding constraint to Gambian government objectives to spur economic growth and reduce poverty. Greater reliability of the electricity supply will lower economic costs in the form of lost productivity, equipment damage, spoilage of foodstuffs, and the cost for procurement and operation of backup generators by both the public and private sectors. The project aims to support NAWEC’s objectives to improve fiscal and operational management, including structural and government policy reforms, to ensure that the sector will be better positioned to address both near-term challenges and plan for future investments, such as connections to regional power producers and renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydropower.

“The United States government and the government of The Gambia aim to finalize the program agreement and begin activities later in 2021.  Mr. Langhenry, who is presently completing a 4-1/2-year MCC assignment in Sierra Leone, is slated to assume the duties of full-time Resident MCC Threshold Director at the U.S. Embassy in Banjul in the coming months.”

Top imam Chebo Cham has responded to those who say imams should stay away from state affairs, saying they too are citizens.

In a sermon this past Friday, the imam countered: “You say imams should not interfere in state matters. You’re not speaking the truth. Are we not part of the country? Are we not citizens? Are we not the people who read the Quran and the prophet’s sunnah? Are we not the people who studied how Omar ruled? And you say we should not talk? We’re deceiving each other.

““You can have your seat (presidency), we will never seek it. But you should involve scholars on how to govern the country. They are the people who can tell you how God wants it to be done.”

GMC leader Mai Ahmad Fatty has offered his view of attestation as the issue continues to cause controversy across the country.

In a compelling write-up, Mr Fatty argued: “There are specific exclusive rights reserved for their exercise by a citizen. One such right is the right to vote at public elections to choose national leaders at all levels. The right is specific and exclusive because its exercise is predicated on citizenship and proof thereof. To enjoy this right, one must square him/herself within the prescriptions demarcated by law – the Constitution. Obtaining a voter’s card is presumptive of citizenship leading to the exercise of an exclusive right, although the card per se is not evidence of citizenship. It is an incident of citizenship. One is so entitled only upon satisfactory production of citizenship foundation documents such as a birth certificate, National ID card, etc.

“The Elections Act provides for an Attestation to replace all of these documents of nationality where none could be produced; and it did so without adequate safeguards against potential abuse. The emerging controversy that needs to be resolved is that: does a chief/alkalo supported by five unidentified, indescribable elders ipso facto possess sufficient authority in law, to confer Gambian citizenship or prove thereof? Should a mere unsworn paper Attestation serve as evidence of nationality for purposes of acquiring and exercising “the” most important exclusive citizenship right? To my mind, the answer is in the negative. The absence of punitive penal sanctions against the Attestors is troublesome.

“Having further thoroughly accorded the matter due considerations, I am of the considered view that Attestation is in fact unconstitutional and therefore ultra vires. It is a subordinate invention that was permitted to survive by practice. Wrong does not become right by virtue of long practice or acceptance. Wrong is wrong even if widely accepted or tolerated. An unlawful act does not attain legality by virtue of its durability or acceptance. Its wide use in the past or acceptance cannot grant it a superior status of propriety.

“Attestation seeks to perform a dual function: as document of national identification for voter registration and evidence of nationality. It was wrong ab initio and remain so regardless of its undeserved acceptability and perverse utility. It should be litigated. I admit that this medium is not appropriate for me to exhaust the contention but we shall consult further to assert a legal pathway at the appropriate forum, if required.”

Prosecuting lawyers in the rape trial of Bubacarr Keita on Wednesday ditched their plan to call more witnesses.

The high-interest trial resumed on Wednesday after the absence of the judge last week dealt a blow to the trial proceeding.

But it returned on Wednesday where the complainant’s mother who is the second witness in the case testified that her daughter told her it was Bubacarr Keita who impregnated her.

The prosecution had initially lined five witnesses to testify in the trial but had filed a notice of additional summary to enable them invite more witnesses.

On Wednesday, they dropped the idea by asking the judge to strike out the request.

“You have given us that they are Pa Modou Johm and Fatoumatta Mbye dated 20th of April, having being rescinded as struck out,” the judge while agreeing said.

During the session on Wednesday, Keita smiled twice as the complainant’s mother gave evidence. His first smile was when the mother testified her daughter told her Keita threatened to do a ‘terrible’ thing to her if she ever spoke to her sister who the businessman was married to about him trying to sleep with her. He also smiled when the mother testified that her daughter said she would run out of the house when Keita ask her to come to his room.