By Lamin Njie

The mother of the complainant in the rape trial of Bubacarr Keita on Wednesday began giving evidence in a trial that continued to attract national attention.

The businesswoman who lives in Latrikunda Sabiji began her testimony at 11:40am on Wednesday after the judge tolerated her when she said she could not stand due to pain in her legs.

“Bring her a chair closer to the witness box,” Judge Momodou SM Jallow asked court officials when the witness warned that her legs hurt when she stands for long. The witness then sat, held the Quran in her two hands and swore to speak only the truth, as a packed courtroom watched.

In her testimony, the witness said the complainant was her last female child out of four female children that included Bubacarr Keita’s former wife. She had testified that she was blessed with 11 children, eight of which are surviving.

“[I have] four girls and four boys, the other three are deceased,” the woman told the court and later named the four girls when the prosecuting attorney Alasan Jobe asked her to.

When the prosecuting attorney asked her to confirm if the first witness in the trial was her daughter, the witness said she was.

“Was she ever married?” Jobe asked her. The woman, in replying, said: “Yes.”

According to the witness, her daughter was married to Bubacarr Keita when the prosecuting lawyer enquired who she was married to.

“Is he the same Bubacarr Keita as the accused person? Look at him,” the prosecuting lawyer asked the witness.

The witness said: “Yes, he is the one.”

She will continue with her testimony on Thursday.

Keita, 29, is standing trial for allegedly raping his former wife’s 15-year-old sister. He denies any culpability.

A different witness was supposed to take the witness box on Wednesday but for protest from Keita’s lawyers.

The protest came over a notice of additional summary filed by state prosecutors on Tuesday to enable a witness who wasn’t previously listed among witnesses of the prosecution to testify.

“My Lord we will be objecting to this witness being called,” Keita’s lawyer Lamin Camara quickly said when the prosecuting lawyer Alasan Jobe told the judge the prosecution would like to call on Pa Modou Johm as its second witness.

According to Camara, the notice of additional summary ran counter to Section 175(D) and 175(C) of the Criminal Procedure Code.

“My Lord if you look at the notice of additional summary, it has all the hallmarks of trial by ambush. For the reason that… My Lord, these notices do not contain anything that can be called summary if your Lordship looks at the statements,” Camara argued.

He then continued: “What appears to be a summary is not even a summary. And with the permission of the court My Lord, can I draw your attention if you have one, to the summary of the statement of [witness]. Two lines. The summary of a statement, two lines. And with the permission of the court My Lord if I can read the summary. [It says] ‘this witness is a sister to the complainant, she will explain the nature of her relationship with the accused person when she was in the compound and everything she knows about the case’. Where is the summary, is that summary?”

Camara then told the judge even if the Criminal Procedure Code did not give the scope of the summary, the constitution guarantees one’s right to fair hearing.

“[It] says you need to put the accused person in a stead to know the evidence that is coming in,” Camara said. “And this summary, there is no statement attached. So what are you telling the defence? Nothing. That amounts to trial by ambush.”

Camara then told the judge the same applies in the case of Pa Modou Johm saying the proposed witness’s statement summary comes in just three lines.

“The witness is a former boyfriend of the complainant. He was questioned by the police at the time the case was reported. He will explain the nature of the relationship,” Camara said reading from the notice of additional summary.

“This is not a summary,” he insisted further.

He then said if the prosecution had attached the witness statements, they would not have objected “because we would have been given an opportunity to know what the witnesses are coming to say”.

“With no such statements, we have no idea of what these witnesses are coming to say. That amounts to trial by ambush which is not allowed in criminal proceedings,” Camara added.

Senior state counsel Alasan Jobe fired back that the defence lawyer made a ‘very bizarre’ objection.

“My Lord a summary is defined under the Merriam-Webster dictionary as ‘covering the main points succinctly’. That is one definition of what a summary is. Other definitions under the same dictionary is that summary is an ‘abstract or an abridgement’.

“My Lord a summary need not contain all relevant information. My Lord a summary is just an overview of something. My Lord we believe that we summary of evidence as contained in the documents we filed is exactly what the said witnesses are coming to talk about,” Jobe told the judge.

Jobe also addressed his opponent’s argument the proposed witnesses statement were not attached saying, “My Lord this is very surprising to us”.

He said: “Because it is not all witnesses who make statements at the police. My Lord oral evidence is as good as documentary evidence as far as it passes the test of relevance as provided for under Section 3 of the Evidence Act.

“My Lord the same mode of drafting the summary of evidence is the same mode of drafting summary of evidence as it is contained in the notice we filed. It’s the same mode of drafting we used in the bill of indictment, the same three lines that counsel for the defence is complaining is the same three lines that we have in the bill of indictment and he never objected to it.”

Jobe continued his argument by telling the judge he agrees with the defence counsel that the accusation leveled against the accused is very serious.

He however warned: “And the threshold to prove rape is very high and it behooves on the prosecution to call on any material witness that will help it in proving its case beyond reasonable doubt.”

Jobe then sparked another protest from the defence when he said for Pa Modou Jobe to testify was because the defence had made reference to his relationship with the complainant.

“Counsel for the defence is the very one who made reference to his relationship with the complainant,” Jobe said.

Camara blasted back: “Sorry My Lord, can we rectify that anomaly. That is a mis-statement, my learned friend is misdirecting the court, that is not true. I don’t know Pa Modou Johm, I don’t know him from Adam. I only asked PW1, ‘do you know one Pa Modou Johm’, she said ‘yes’. ‘Who is he?’ She said, ‘it’s the boyfriend’. Did I make that statement? It’s their witness who said he is the boyfriend to the complainant. So he is misleading the court.”

Jobe who waived his right to reply on points of law asked that the objection by the defence counsel could be sustained except the part they were trying to mislead the court.

“We do not intend to mislead the court,” Jobe clarified.

Jobe went ahead to explain that the testimonies of the proposed witnesses are so vital to their case that their exclusion will case an unfair prejudice to us.

“We therefore urge this honourable court to dismiss the objection and allow the witnesses to testify based on the notice we filed. In any case, we would like this honourable court to take cognizance of Section 175(C)(2) of the CPC,” Jobe then prayed.

The judge in an easily ruling said: “The Honourable court rules that no superior court of The Gambia would allow any trial by ambush in a criminal trial especially for a serious commission allegedly. The prosecution not having given any gist of what the testimony of their statements would be to avail the defence with the opportunity to prepare its case as in the instance clearings which having made in sufficient disclosure and being in one of such requirement, the honourable court would maintain defence counsel’s objection against the calling of the two named witnesses as notice filed from yesterday to beef up the in focal theme and serve such requisite witness statements as the prosecution wish to call with time given to or opportunity given to the defence to prepare against the prosecution’s case. That’s all.”

The prosecuting lawyer had earlier on brought to the attention of the court two typos on the notice of additional summary: the witness’s surname and Criminal Code. The lawyer said the witness’s surname should be ‘Johm’ and not ‘Jobe’ as written on the document and ‘Criminal Procedure Code’ instead of ‘Criminal Code’.

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was handcuffed and taken into custody after a jury found him guilty of murder and manslaughter in the death of George Floyd.

Images of Chauvin leaving the courtroom in handcuffs spread quickly on social media.

Chauvin stood and placed his hands behind his back as sheriff’ inside the court room placed the handcuffs on him.

He also appeared to speak briefly with his attorney, Eric Nelson, as the officer led him out the room.

Prosecutors moved for and Judge Peter Cahill ordered Chauvin’s bail to be revoked and him to be remanded into Hennepin County sheriff’s custody until a sentencing hearing in several weeks.

Some social media users noted the imagery of a former police officer being led out of a courtroom in handcuffs. Others shared the initial police report filed after Floyd’s death, in which officers wrote, “Officers were able to get the suspect into handcuffs and noted he appeared to be suffering medical distress.”

Chauvin, 45, was found guilty of second- and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. George Floyd’s death in police custody last May led to widespread protests around the U.S. demanding racial justice and police accountability.

He faces up to 75 years in prison if he serves terms consecutively. (USA Today)

Dr. Mamadou Tangara on Tuesday received the ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation Dmitry KURAKOV who led a team of investors to the foreign ministry.

A statement by the ministry said: “The team is in the country to meet sectors with a view to exploring possibilities of working with the Government of The Gambia in a bid to invest in digitalisation in order to promote the effective and secure use of information.

“The Director of European Affairs Division, Mr. Ebrima Mboob and the Honourary Consul of the Russian Federation to The Gambia, Mr. Lamin Manga, attended the meeting.”

Senegalese President Macky Sall has described the sudden death of Chad President Idris Deby as sad news.

Chad’s President Idriss Deby has died while visiting troops on the front line of a fight against northern rebels, an army spokesman said on Tuesday.

“The death of Marshal of Chad, President Idriss Deby Itno, is sad news. I salute his memory and pay tribute to his contribution to the stabilization of the Sahel. Peace to his soul,” tweeted President Sall.

In a statement read out on State Television, army spokesman General Azem Bermandoa Agouna said, Idriss Deby, 68, “has just breathed his last defending the sovereign nation on the battlefield” over the weekend.

The Drug Law Enforcement Agency has weighed suspected cannabis allegedly found on Yusupha Jambang.

Jambang was arrested at the weekend during an alleged car chase. He was allegedly driving a UDP pickup truck.

Police later handed him over to the Drug Law Enforcement Agency after cannabis was allegedly found on him.

“He was handed over with four wraps of suspected cannabis found in a black cross bag and some particles of suspected cannabis found in the car after it was searched in his presence,” DLEAG spokesman Ousman Saidyba told The Fatu Networok.

Saidyba has also told The Fatu Network the cannabis was weighed by the agency at 16g and 100mg.

The Head of State of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the chairperson of the African Union (AU) Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo has termed Idriss Deby’s sudden death as a great loss for Chad and for the whole of Africa.

A statement on the President’s Twitter account said he has ‘learned with dismay of the death of his counterpart and brother, Marshal Idriss Déby Itno, President of the Republic of Chad.

This death on Tuesday, during military operations opposing the Chadian armed forces to rebel forces, is a great loss for Chad and for the whole of Africa.

On behalf of the Congolese and African people, the President of the Republic sends his most saddened condolences to the government of the Republic of Chad, to its people and to the biological family of the deceased.’

Chad’s President Idriss Deby’s death was on Tuesday announced by the army spokesman, who said ‘Deby has died while visiting troops on the front line of a fight against northern rebels.’

According to provisional results announced Monday evening by the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) of the central African nation, Incumbent Chadian President Idriss Deby won the absolute majority in the first round of the presidential election, held on April 11. (CGTN Africa)

By Lamin Njie

Bubacarr Keita’s former wife ended her testimony in the businessman’s rape trial by telling the court she sparred with Keita while he was under custody – where Keita got angry and told her he has divorced her.

Keita and her former wife stood, facing each other in the witness stand and the dock for the very last time on Tuesday. It comes three weeks after the Court of Appeal revoked Keita’s bail, as he battles a charge of raping his ex-wife’s 15-year-old sister.

At the resumption of the trial on Tuesday at the high court in Bundung, Keita’s former wife produced a cadi court order that was made during a trial involving the former couple.

“Yes I have it,” the witness replied when Keita’s lawyer asked her if she had the order.

The witness took it out and gave it to the judge as Keita’s lawyer Lamin Camara applied for the order to be tendered as a defence exhibit. The judged admitted the order into evidence and marked it as Defence Exhibit B.

The witness said he could read and write in English when the defence lawyer asked if she could. She read out the claim in the cadi court order which dealt with iddah accommodation and child maintenance. The witness had asked for a D100,000 monthly iddah maintenance from the cadi court.

Still, the defence lawyer asked the witness to “look at the first paragraph [of the cadi court order], that is paragraph 1 and tell the court the date of the divorce according to the order [Defence Exhibit B]”.

“It is confirmed that the plaintiff and the defendant were married. However, on the 7^th day of November, the defendant granted the plaintiff a divorce,” the witness said, reading out the cadi court order.

“So what is the date of the divorce in Defence Exhibit B according to the court?” Keita’s lawyer asked her.

“According to the court, it’s on the 7^th of November 2019,” the witness replied. The defence lawyer then said he was done with the witness.

State senior attorney Alasan Jobe in re-examining the witness enquired if it was normal for the witness to just go to the cadi court to claim for iddah accommodation and maintenance.

“My Lord certainly that is not a question you can ask on  re-examination. Certainly we’re objecting to that,” the defence lawyer protested. But he then walked back his objection after the judge asked him if he was really objecting.

“My Lord really it’s not one of those questions that you can ask under re-examination. My Lord I withdraw my objection, we want to hear the answer,” Camara explained.

The witness when allowed to respond said “that could not happen because something had happened”.

She then said when the state lawyer asked her to tell the court what prompted her to make the iddah and child maintenance claim at the cadi court: “Because on the 6^th of November, I had a problem with my husband. Because I found out my sister was pregnant.

“When I asked her, she said it’s my husband [who was responsible]. So when we talked, we couldn’t have a solution and we went further and went to the police on the 6^th of November.

“So the next day on the 7^th, he was under custody and while we were quarelling, he got angry and said he has divorced me. So for me I did not take that divorce, that’s why I went to the cadi, they called him and clarified everything. So when I explained to them everything, that’s when they told me they would write that he should give me iddah and maintenance.”

The session then got briefly interrupted when the senior state lawyer Alasan Jobe complained to the judge that a gentleman in the gathering “was laughing and smiling and making gestures”.

“He is not supposed to make those gestures as a lawyer,” the judge warned.

“He has issues with me My Lord, with all due respect,” the gentleman who was then identified as a lawyer fired back.

“This is not the place for that,” the judge said and later pleaded with the senior state counsel to ‘forget’ the matter.

The session then continued with the senior state lawyer asking the witness about when she got to know about the contents of defence exhibit B [the cadi court orde].

“My Lord I just want to draw My lord’s attention that all the questions that are asked under re-examination are normally nor allowed under re-examination. Because he is going into fresh areas may need to be asked later on,” the defence lawyer interjected but the judge said questions could be asked on issues that are contentious.

“All the questions he has asked are not ambiguous and they are not contentious,” the defence lawyer argued.

“This one is contentious because it has information that she is being re-examined on,” the judge said.

The defence lawyer then read out the evidence act that “re-examination shall be directed… Explanation of matters referred to under cross-examination and if new matter by the permission of the court introduced in re-examination, the other party must further cross examine on it”.

“So what he is doing is he is introducing new matters,” he added.

The judge disagreed saying the question could validly pass for matters that have been referred to in cross-examination.

“And you have referred to it by exhibiting the item, requiring her to produce the document which has been tendered,” the judge said.

The witness when asked to answer the question said: “When I left the court the last time I was thinking I had all the documents but I realized I didn’t. So that I came to know about it the next day. I cannot recall the exact date but it was a day after the last sitting.”

Keita’s lawyer then insisted one new matter has been raised under re-examination.

“The witness led evidence as to the date of the 7^th, that that is when she went to the police station and exchanged words with the accused person and the accused said you’re granted a divorce,” Camara said.

He then asked: “Mrs* did you receive a text message from the accused person on the 6^th of November 2019 at 9:41am asking you to leave his house?”

The witness replied: “I did receive a message that I should leave his house.”

“And it’s because of that text message you received that you left the accused person’s house on the 7^th , you packed out on the 7^th?” Camara then asked.

Camara then asked the witness not to take him back to November 6 when the witness attempted to discuss what happened the previous day.

“It’s because of the text message? Don’t take me back to the 6^th , Camara asked.

The witness replied: “The text message did not cause me to pack out. Because he did not divorce me, he only said I should leave his house.”

The case resumes on Wednesday when a new witness is set to testify.

The president of Chad has been killed on the front line after a clash between the army and rebels at the border.

An army spokesperson confirmed Idriss Deby, who has ruled Chad for over 30 years, died of his injuries on Tuesday.

It comes a day after the 68-year-old was declared the winner of a sixth term in office. Deby, who came to power in a rebellion in 1990, took 79.3% of the vote in the April 11 election, which was boycotted by top opposition leaders.

He was expected to give a victory speech to supporters on Monday, but his campaign director, Mahamat Zen Bada, said he had instead gone to visit Chadian soldiers on the front lines.

‘The candidate would have liked to have been here to celebrate … but right now, he is alongside our valiant defence and security forces to fight the terrorists threatening our territory,’ Zen Bada told reporters.

Rebels based across the northern frontier in Libya attacked a border post on election day and then advanced hundreds of kilometres south across the desert.

Army spokesperson, Général Azem Bemrandoua Agouna, said the military had been pushed back by a column of insurgents who were advancing on the capital, N’Djamena.

According to one report, the soldiers were attacked by militants from Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT).

Their stated goal was to rid the country of Deby’s 31 years of power. It is thought Deby might be the first head of state to die in battle since Paraguay’s Francisco Solano López in 1870.

An interim military council will govern for the next 18 months, ruled by Deby’s son General Mahamat Kaka.

The news was announced on state television by army spokesman General Azem Bermandoa Agouna.

He said Deby ‘has just breathed his last defending the sovereign nation on the battlefield’. (Metro)

Government spokesperson Ebrima G Sankareh said on Monday funds paid to officials of the ministry of justice formed a budget submitted and approved by the OIC.

In a statement, Sankareh explained: “In the wake of a raging controversy over some Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000) paid to past and present senior officials at the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice, The Gambia Government wishes to inform the public and the international community, that contrary to widespread allegations of corruption, the funds were legally paid to these officials as honorarium for jointly prosecuting the case against Myanmar.

“The sum of $200,000 has been paid by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) as honorarium to the Gambian Legal team participating in the case against Myanmar at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).  For the records, The Government of The Gambia wishes to clarify that the case at the ICJ is being jointly prosecuted by the Washington-based law firm: Foley Hoag and the Gambian Legal team comprising lawyers from the Ministry of Justice and the Legal Counsel at The Gambia’s Mission in New York.

“A budget estimate incorporating the honorarium to be paid alongside the fees of Foley Hoag was submitted and approved by the OIC. Based on the complexities of cases of this nature, it is acceptable practice to have multiple legal teams collaborate as in this case before the ICJ.  The Gambia leads the case through its Agent, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice and the rest of the team as Counsel. In fact, this is the first ever honorarium paid to the Gambian legal team since the inception of the case against Myanmar in October 2019.

“Significantly, following written notification by the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, the Executive gave its consent for the Gambian Legal team to receive the honorarium from the OIC. Also, contrary to allegations that the money was donated by Bangladesh to The Gambia, neither Bangladesh nor any other country donated money with regard to this case.

“Instead, The OIC had opened an account for the case and requested member states to contribute to that account to fund the legal fees for the case against Myanmar. The contribution made by Bangladesh and other countries are paid to the OIC special account and not directly to The Gambia as alleged.”

Saihou Saidily has praised UDP leader Ousainou Darboe over Monday’s press conference that saw UDP reject any suggestions it is into drugs after the seizure of a party vehicle that allegedly carried cannabis.

In a new write-up, UK-based Saidily said: “Thank you UDP leader & flag bearer Hon. Darboe for that informative, clear and coherent press conference on the alleged cannabis issue involving a UDP vehicle. Now rational minded Gambians can definitely separate the wheat from the chaff in terms of what really transpired, pending the outcome of police investigations.

“This is another testimony of the fact that, unlike the current incompetent Government, UDP leadership doesn’t shy away from facing the media no matter what. It’s reassuring to hear from the Spokesperson that, moving on our Presidential flag bearer will be holding  monthly press briefings leading to Dec. 4th Presidential Elections to address issues of national dimension.  To this effect, when was the last time President Barrow held a press conference despite numerous never ending issues of national concern, from global pandemic to three recent murder cases, incident in Kombo Sanyang, daily rise in price of basic commodities and unprecedented importation of cocaine into the country.

“The variance in style between UDP leader and President Barrow in terms of showing regard to the citizenry is glaringly evident in that, unlike the latter, the former won’t hide behind his Spokesperson to address his fellow citizens on issues of national importance.

“On the issue of the immigration officer who spoke so irresponsibly in a leaked audio, I concur fully with Hon. Darboe that, the DG of Immigration should act within civil service rules to address her improper and out of bounds attitude. In this regard, I hope Seedy Touray will for the sake of uprightness we expect of members of our civil service and security outfits, address Isatou Ceesay’s issue swiftly and appropriately.

“Yes, focus of attention should be on the biggest cocaine scandal which as Hon. Darboe rightly put it, has an international dimension as well. 94 days now, no one yet to prosecuted for it with Banta Keita at large.

“Whilst, we await the conclusion of the police investigation on this matter, be assured the shenanigan of Barrow and his cohorts will not distract majority Gambian voters from key issues of rising prices of commodities, endemic corruption as validated by the latest audit report presented to the Chair of Financial and Public Accounts Committee (FPAC) of National Assembly in March this year, rising numbers in crimes in the country and of course the biggest drug scandal issue.

“To conclude, let me say this loud and clear, for a transparent and action oriented Government, please vote wisely on Dec. 4th by giving it to the UDP candidate. Happy Monday.”

ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda used her meeting with foreign minister Dr Mamadou Tangara on Monday to thank the government over support it gave her as US government unveiled visa sanctions against her.

Bensouda last year drew America’s wrath amid the ICC’s plan to open investigation against US for alleged war crimes in Afghanistan. She and at least one top aide were slapped with sanctions that include visa restrictions but the sanctions were reversed as soon as Joe Biden took over.

The Gambia government had condemned the move with the foreign ministry at the time blasting it as constituting “gross interference on the mandate, independence and impartiality of the Court in the fight against impunity for perpetrators of the most serious crimes of international concern.”

On Monday, Bensouda met with Dr Mamadou Tangara, the foreign ministry in a statement said.

“Madam Bensouda was at the Foreign Ministry to extend gratitude to the Government of The Gambia for the stance taken in condemning sanction imposed on her and other officials of the ICC by the erstwhile US Government under President Donald J. Trump.

“Discussion between the two centred on the end of her mandate as Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in the Haque amongst other issues of interest to The Gambia,” the ministry added.

Police have arrested 14 people over 15 million dalasis stolen from NAWEC’s AGIB Bank Qpower account.

Police spokesman Lamin Njie told The Fatu Network the over two dozen people arrested include both Gambians and non-Gambians.

He said: “The Police investigation into d AGIB-NAWEC case is currently ongoing. So far 14 people have been arrested and helping with investigations, among them are Gambians and non Gambians.

“A cash amount of D1, 772, 600. 00 have been recovered by the Fraud Investigation Squad. Also two vehicles, Mercedes Benz and Toyota Camry were also recovered.

“Meanwhile investigation continues into other issues for determination.”

Police have released 201 people they arrested amid their Operation Zero Crime campaign.

Police said in a statement on Monday: “From the commencement of the operation, a total number of 408 people were arrested at various criminal hideouts within Banjul, Kanifing and West Coast Regions.

“Below is a breakdown: 201 people were found not connected to any crime and therefore released; 79 people were found to be illegal immigrants and handed over to the Immigration Department for the necessary actions; 65 people were found with suspected drugs and handed over to the Drug Law Enforcement Agency for the necessary actions; 63 people were charged with various crimes as stated below.

“Offenses: going armed in public, possession of suspected stolen properties, breaking and stealing, drink and drive, assault, stealing, escape from lawful custody, among others.

“We continue to appreciate and commend the exceptional performance of all the security services taking part in the operation, namely: GAF, GID, GPS, GFRS, SIS, and DLEAG respectively.

“The usual cooperation and compliance of the public is highly solicited.”

UDP leader Ousainou Darboe on Monday told reporters he got intelligence report of a plot to plant incriminating ‘materials’ on him and other UDP top guns.

“I want to tell you gentlemen of the press that about three months ago, I had intelligence report that I should advise Momodou Sabally, EbriMa Dibba, Karafa Sonko, Honourable Saho, Yakumba Jaiteh and myself…

“[That] we should be very careful where we park our vehicle, [that] even we take our vehicle to car wash we must make sure that somebody sits in the vehicle because the scheme now particularly me, is to plant incriminating materials on us. And for Sabally, Saho, Yakumba to silence them and for me to disqualify me,” Darboe told reporters.

UDP is fighting back after its vehicle was taken in by police amid allegations of cannabis retrieved in the vehicle. The vehicle is currently held at Bundung Police Station as critics continue to brand UDP a party dealing in drugs.

But leader Darboe bit back on Monday: “We want to say that the UDP has always been against criminality in this country and more particularly use of substances that are harmful to the individual. In my career as a lawyer, I have refused to defend anybody for drug cases.

“I have refused it and all that is to show our revulsion for drugs and drug use. If someone on his frolic uses our vehicle without our knowledge and you want to pin that on UDP I think that will be most outrageous, I think that is very ingenious.”

UDP will sue a woman said to be an immigration officer who accused the party of drug dealing, UDP KM chairman Falang Sonko has said.

Sonko visited Bundung Police Station Monday morning where the party’s vehicle is being kept following its seizure at the weekend. The vehicle allegedly carried cannabis.

A woman in an audio statement claimed to be an immigration officer who witnessed the incident and charged that UDP is now dealing in drugs.

But Falang Sonko said: “She said UDP people are cannabis dealers, they are drug dealers. If God permits, we will take her to court for her to tell the whole world where we sell cannabis and drugs.”

A fundraiser has been set up in Bankole Yao Jojo Ahadzie’s name amid the political newboy’s plan to take State House in December.

Ahadzie last month announced he will run for the country’s highest office.

The organizer of the GoFundMe is listed as WatoTJGM in Atlanta, Georgia with the writing “All I ask ‘give $1 and tell a friend to give $1’. Our success will spark the inferno that will burn down Babylon. Zion Train is truly coming our way. Rasta don’t come to bow. We come to conquer. Banky for President of The Gambia, December 2021”.

The GoFundMe page has so far raised over 800 dollars of the 60,000 dollars target.

BB Darbo-led Gambia For All has issued a statement expressing concern over blank voter’s cards found in trash cans in the KM.

The statement on Sunday said: “The discovery of multiple, apparently genuine blank voter’s cards in trash cans around the Kanifing municipality is of serious concern to The Gambia For All (GFA) Party.  While giving them the benefit of doubt, the explanation being offered by high ranking IEC officials is neither convincing nor reassuring. The matter cannot be trivialized as just a case of the organization getting rid of  obsolete material.

“Whether they know it or not, these are confidential and sensitive national documents that do not belong to trash cans in people’s backyards. They are blank voters cards with the signature of the current chairman of the IEC. In the era of modern photoshop technology, it would not be unreasonable to assume that the cards have been used or  could be used for sinister purposes.

“National elections are a serious matter for any democracy; and every effort must be made by people entrusted with the conduct of such an onerous task to be mindful of  the consequences of their failure to act professionally, diligently, and fairly. We hope and expect the  matter will be independently investigated to clear doubt in the minds voters and all stakeholders.”

President Joe Biden said on Saturday he will raise the cap on the number of refugees admitted this year to the United States, a day after he drew criticism from Democratic lawmakers for agreeing to keep the historically low figure in place.

Biden signed an order on Friday extending a 15,000 refugee admissions cap issued by his predecessor Donald Trump through the end of September. In signing the order, Biden shelved a plan announced in February to increase the cap to 62,500.

Biden told reporters in Delaware on Saturday after playing golf that he would go beyond the 15,000 limit.

“We are going to increase the number. Problem was the refugee part was working on the crisis that ended up at the border with young people. We couldn’t do two things at once, so now we are going to raise the number,” he said.

With Biden being criticized by lawmakers and refugee advocacy groups, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday that he planned to “set a final, increased refugee cap for the remainder of this fiscal year by May 15.”

Biden’s order to limit admissions to 15,000 was a blow to advocacy groups that wanted the Democratic president to move swiftly to reverse the refugee policies of the Republican Trump, who had set the figure in part as a way to limit immigration.

The program for admitting refugees is distinct from the asylum system for migrants. Refugees must be vetted while still overseas and cleared for entry to the United States, unlike migrants who arrive at a U.S. border and then request asylum.

Biden’s cautious approach appears to have been tied to concerns over the optics of admitting more refugees at a time of rising numbers of migrants arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border, and to not wanting to look “too open” or “soft,” another U.S. official with knowledge of the matter previously told Reuters.

Psaki said on Friday that Biden’s “initial goal of 62,500 seems unlikely … given the decimated refugee admissions program we inherited.”

Republicans have blamed Biden for the situation at the border, faulting his moves to reverse other Trump-era hardline immigration policies.

Biden took office aiming to set a new course for U.S. immigration policy, including a more compassionate approach. But his initial decision to leave in place the caps went against his promises as a candidate. (Reuters)

Saihou Saidily has called on his fellow UDP supporters to allow police put across their investigation into a vehicle belonging to the party.

A UDP vehicle was seized Saturday night during an encounter with police officers on patrol. The illicit drug cannabis was later retrieved from the vehicle.

And UDP man Saihou Saidily has now taken to the pen to ask UDP supporters to wait for the police to get to the bottom of the matter.

He wrote on Sunday: “My fellow UDP folks, in line with the press statement by our Party in relation to one Yankuba Jabang from Sukuta found in possession of cannabis whilst driving our Party vehicle, let’s wait for the police to get to the bottom of it. At the end of the day, they can confiscate the vehicle for all they want, but it’s no brainer that it’s Yankuba who should be the subject of investigations here and not the vehicle.

“From 1996, even under the most difficult conditions, UDP maintained decency and no amount of smear media campaign can taint the Party’s image. We’re a decent law abiding Party and no individual can take that from us. Records have shown that fact under our belt.

“It’s gratifying to note that, our Party has condemned this act and called for the police to go into the bottom of it. This is what a responsible Political Party does in matters like this and inshallah, come rain come sunshine, UDP will cooperate to the fullest to nip this matter in the bud to ensure whoever is found wanting brought to book in accordance with the law.

“However,  isn’t it totally ironical that loudmouths of NPP who up to this day are completely mute about the biggest drug scandal in history of our country, worth billions of dalasis, are all over this story simply because UDP vehicle is involved. If you call yourself a patriot and concern with the use of drugs in our country but chose to be completely quiet about 3.8 metric tons of cocaine imported into country 92 days on, with no meaningful act to find those allegedly behind it to the extent presiding judge is threatening to throw the case out due to inaction by authorities, what does that make you? Ain’t you just being a hypocrite?

“Every well meaning citizen should urge for all drug related matters to be thoroughly investigated and not cherrypicked based on whom it affects. NPP supporters, seriously you folks have no moral authority to celebrate this issue, because you have been totally quiet ? about Banta Keita issue. How come you didn’t ask Government to step up investigations on the issue and be constantly updating us? Or do you know something about that the rest of us don’t? Hence your deliberate attempt to be silent on it? Oh well, be rest assured that, just like this one involving the UDP vehicle, truth will eventually come out on the cocaine scandal too no matter the longevity of the so called investigations. Wa Salam.”