As the European region currently fights a resurgence of COVID-19 transmissions, the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe on Thursday called upon the governments in the region to “scale-up of both vaccine production and vaccination.”

According to WHO Europe, to date, only 10 percent of the region’s total population has received one vaccine dose, and four percent has completed a full vaccine series.

“Let me be clear: we must speed up the process by ramping up manufacturing, reducing barriers to administering vaccines, and using every single vial we have in stock, now,” Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe said in a press release.

There were 1.6 million new COVID-19 cases and 24,000 deaths last week, which made Europe the second most affected region in the world, said the WHO regional office, highlighting the urgency of a speedier vaccine roll-out.

“Vaccines present our best way out of this pandemic…However, the roll-out of these vaccines is unacceptably slow,” said Kluge.

Of particular concern to WHO Europe is the ongoing disparity in the vaccine roll-out across the European region which has seen every high-income country in the region vaccinating, while “only 80 percent of upper-middle-income countries and 60 percent of lower- and lower-middle-income countries” vaccinating.

“While acknowledging the intent of governments to protect their own populations, before the vaccines are extended to other age groups I strongly urge governments to share excess doses of WHO-approved vaccines with COVAX or with countries in need, once health-care workers and the most vulnerable have been vaccinated,” said Kluge.

COVAX is a World Health Organization-led initiative aimed at ensuring equal access to COVID-19 vaccines by various countries.

According to WHO Europe statistics, the total number of deaths in the European region is now fast approaching one million and the total number of cases of transmission of the coronavirus will soon exceed 45 million.

“Only five weeks ago, the weekly number of new cases in Europe had dipped to under one million, but now the region’s situation is more worrying than we have seen in several months,” said Dorit Nitzan, Regional Emergency Director for the WHO Regional Office for Europe in the press release.

According to WHO Europe, it was more preferable for a vaccine to work alongside timely and targeted public health interventions.

“And as long as the coverage remains low, we need to apply the same public health and social measures as we have in the past, to compensate for delayed schedules,” said Kluge.

In reference to the increased mobility around the Easter holidays over the next few days, as variants of concern continue to spread across the region, Kluge reminded citizens and their governments in the region of their responsibility in the face of the pandemic. (XINHUA)

President Adama Barrow will travel to Dubai on Saturday in a visit of the city that will last for fives days, the presidency said on Thursday.

The president said: “The Office of the President informs the public that, at the invitation of the Private Office of His Highness, Sheikh Marwan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, His Excellency, Adama Barrow, President of the Republic of The Gambia will travel to Dubai on Saturday, 3rd April 2021, on a five-day working visit.

“The President and his delegation will amongst other issues explore possible partnerships to promote and strengthen Public-Private Partnership to enhance socio-economic development.”

Momodou Sabally has said he has no bigger enemy than President Adama Barrow who he says is responsible for his life public service ban.

The Janneh Commission had recommended a life ban for Sabally after concluding he aided former President Jammeh in his pillage of Gambian coffers. The government said it was implementing the recommendation.

And speaking in Baddibu Balengo recently, Sabally addressed the issue saying: “He is the one who said I will never work in Gambia again. He is the only one who said it and he is the one who implemented it and signed it. His own relatives called me and said I should support him. I told them how can I support someone who banned me.

“I have no bigger enemy than Adama Barrow. I want the people of Baddibu that there is nothing in this world that is more precious to me than my country and I want contribute my quota to its development. All the schemes Adama Barrow is engaged in, the people they’re sending that they will give me a car for me to join them…

“I don’t need money, I don’t need any car. I just want to be able to work in my country and make my country stand out. But Adama Barrow is the one who said I am banned and I will not work here for eternity. But he will know I’m Kaddy Jammeh Mabintou’s son he banned. Barrow will know Landing Binta Njie Tida Mama’s son he touched.”

Gambia government officials met with top government officials of Senegal on March 12 in Dakar, Senegal to discuss ways of eliminating bottlenecks around transit trade in Gambia and Senegal.

Government spokesperson Ebrima Sankareh in a statement said  officials of both governments discussed and agreed to adopt strategies for “combatting transit fraud through information sharing, eliminating all non-tariff barriers particularly on petroleum products destined to Mali and accelerating the handling of goods in transit to Guinea Bissau and the Republic of Guinea”.

He said: “The two countries also agreed to codify transit procedures between Gambian and Senegalese Customs Administrations by mid-2021, and adopting the Automated Management of Transit Merchandise (SIGMAT) as well as upgrading strategic border posts.

“The high-level talks were led by the Senegalese Minister of Finance and Budget, Abdoulaye Daouda Diallo and his Gambian counterpart, Mambury Njie.

“During the high profile talks, both Finance Ministers echoed similar sentiments that Senegal and The Gambia were inextricably interconnected by geography, history, culture and ethno-linguistic realities; forces too powerful to ignore in out geo-political and economic existence as neighbouring states.

“Senegalese Finance Minister Diallo was assisted by Ambassador Basiru Sene, High Commissioner of Senegal to The Gambia, AbdourahmanJaye, Director General of the Senegalese Customs and several experts.

“Finance Minister Njie was accompanied by Gambia’s Minister of Justice, Dawda A. Jallow, Secretary General Nuha Touray, The Gambia’s High Commissioner to Senegal, His Excellency Hadrammeh Sidibeh and Director General of The Gambia Revenue Authority, Yankuba Darboe.”

The ministry of health has disclosed it is facing fuel shortage for its vaccination campaign across the country.

The government through the ministry has so far inoculated nearly 7,000 citizens but according to the ministry, there isn’t enough fuel for the campaign.

In the ministry’s latest situation report on the coronavirus pandemic, the ministry listed “inadequate fuel for the implementation of the vaccination campaign” as one of its challenges.

The Court of Appeal on Wednesday revoked the bail of Bubacarr Keita, standing trial for allegedly raping his former wife’s 15-year-old sister. Keita has been taken back into custody.

Below is the appellate court’s full judgment;

BOB KEITA COURT OF APPEAL BAIL JUDGEMENT

The Secretary General of the Association of Imams and Ulemas of Senegal said he was the victim of an attack on his office on Wednesday, according to local media.

Imam Oumar Diene was allegedly assaulted by a man in his office who later fled after guards intervened, according to Senego.

According to Senego, Diene’s assault comes as he got controversially chosen to replace Mourchi Ahmed Iyane Thiam at the National Commission for the Lunar Crescent (CONACOC).

The incident allegedly happened Wednesday morning.

Dr. Mamadou Tangara on Tuesday held an audience with the leadership of Gambian Student Association in Khartoum, Sudan.

The student leadership, led by their President, was at the Foreign Ministry to return gratitude to Foreign Minister Tangara for the support The Gambia Government has given to Gambian students studying in Sudan. The intervention of the Government, the students explained greatly alleviated their suffering thus thanked the Honourable Minister and the Government for the foresight.

The President of the Student Association, Mr. Sankung Singhateh, presented an accolade to the Hon. Minister on behalf of the entire student membership in Sudan as a mark of acknowledgement for his support.

In a brief statement, the Honourable Minister advised the students to remain steadfast in studies, unity and maintain a high sense of discipline whilst always remembering that “You reap what you sow.”

For his part, Mr. Sankung Singhateh, the President of Gambian Student Association in Sudan, used the opportunity to profoundly thank the Government for the support it has rendered to students in Sudan during the past years.

“You (Minister Tangara) visiting us in Khartoum means a lot to all the students and we are grateful,” Mr. Singhateh posited.

By Lamin Njie

The Court of Appeal on Wednesday revoked Bubacarr Keita’s bail and ordered for his arrest and remand in custody over charges he raped his former wife’s 15-year-old sister.

The high court in Bundung last August freed Keita on a D100,000 bond, two sureties and his passport containing a valid US visa.

The state appealed the decision at the Court of Appeal – and in landmark judgment on Wednesday, the nation’s second highest court blasted that Judge Momodou SM Jallow’s decision to release the 29-year-old businessman is not supported by evidence.

Justice Kumba Sillah Camara leading a three-justice panel described four areas in the high court judge’s decision as ‘perverse and unsupportable’ by evidence. Firstly, she said the judge adopted both sides’ submissions against the grant of bail as his own.

“Unless the parties agree on issues or terms, the judge cannot adopt both sides’ submissions. A judge cannot adopt a method of adjudication alien to procedural rules of justice,” she blasted.

She then added: “It is unheard of or bizarre for a judge to adopt arguments of all parties at once with different perspectives and later determine their issues in favour of one. I hold the view the learned trial judge erred in law when he sought to adopt the applicant and respondent’s arguments as the court’s own.”

The top justice then went after the high court judge over his ‘reasonable time’ argument and said he ‘misdirected’ the facts.

She said: “The learned trial judge misapplied the facts by failing to have recourse to all the affidavits in support of the bail application. The learned trial judge failed to appreciate the fact that the respondent was arrested on 6th of November 2019 and granted bail on the 7th of November 2019. The amended information was filed on the 15th of June 2019 as stated above.

“The responded was arraigned on the 20th of July 2020 and he was remanded on the said date. The learned trial judge failed to read the averments on paragraph 6 and 7 of the affidavit in support. The respondent was only charged with the offence of rape on 15th June 2019 and barely over a month and the respondent was arraigned before the high court. Thus the learned [trial judge] was wrong to have said that the state failed to proceed with the case for more than a year. I hold that the learned trial judge misdirected the facts by holding that the appellant did not prosecute within reasonable time.”

Elsewhere, the justice said the high court judge misapplied the principle in Henry Gabriel where the Supreme Court granted bail to the man even as he was charged with the non-bailable murder offence.  Also, the justice held the high court judge granted bail to Keita without ‘substantial’ reasoning.

She said: “The learned trial judge in determining the bail application failed to give reason for the fact that the matter was not tried within a reasonable time, he failed to apply the laws to the facts correctly, Section 19 of the constitution was mentioned in the ruling without putting it into proper context and there was no correlation between the facts and the law.

“The citing of the case of Henry Gabriel supra was done by the way side and no proper recourse of the case was made by the learned trial judge. The learned judge failed to apply the principle in the said case correctly. The learned judge failed to appreciate the fact that the respondent was charged with rape punishable with life imprisonment.

“The learned trial judge failed to cite Section 99 of the CPC which specifically deals with bail and the matter at hand. It is clear from the foregoing that the learned trial judge did not handle the matter properly, with due respect to the learned trial judge he misdirected material facts, misapplied principles and failed to apply the law correctly to the facts, therefore the ruling is completely flawed and devoid of reasoning and comprehension.

“I hold the view that the learned trial judge’s decision is not supported by evidence. The appeal succeeds and the ruling dated 11th August 2020 is hereby set aside. The respondent’s bail is hereby revoked. The respondent shall be arrested and remanded in custody pending the trial and determination of the charges against him.”

Fellow Justice Haddy Cecilia Roche agreed with her while Justice Basirou Vassili Portier Mahoney dissented.

By Lamin Njie

The Court of Appeal on Wednesday revoked Bubacarr Keita’s bail and ordered for his arrest and remand in custody over charges he raped his former wife’s 15-year-old sister.

The high court in Bundung last August freed Keita on a D100,000 bond, two sureties and his passport containing a valid US visa.

The state appealed the decision at the Court of Appeal – and in landmark judgment on Wednesday, the nation’s second highest court blasted that Judge Momodou SM Jallow’s decision to release the 29-year-old businessman is not supported by evidence.

Justice Kumba Sillah Camara leading a three-justice panel described four areas in the high court judge’s decision as ‘perverse and unsupportable’ by evidence. Firstly, she said the judge adopted both sides’ submissions against the grant of bail as his own.

“Unless the parties agree on issues or terms, the judge cannot adopt both sides’ submissions. A judge cannot adopt a method of adjudication alien to procedural rules of justice,” she blasted.

She then added: “It is unheard of or bizarre for a judge to adopt arguments of all parties at once with different perspectives and later determine their issues in favour of one. I hold the view the learned trial judge erred in law when he sought to adopt the applicant and respondent’s arguments as the court’s own.”

The top justice then went after the high court judge over his ‘reasonable time’ argument and said he ‘misdirected’ the facts.

She said: “The learned trial judge misapplied the facts by failing to have recourse to all the affidavits in support of the bail application. The learned trial judge failed to appreciate the fact that the respondent was arrested on 6th of November 2019 and granted bail on the 7th of November 2019. The amended information was filed on the 15th of June 2019 as stated above.

“The responded was arraigned on the 20th of July 2020 and he was remanded on the said date. The learned trial judge failed to read the averments on paragraph 6 and 7 of the affidavit in support. The respondent was only charged with the offence of rape on 15th June 2019 and barely over a month and the respondent was arraigned before the high court. Thus the learned [trial judge] was wrong to have said that the state failed to proceed with the case for more than a year. I hold that the learned trial judge misdirected the facts by holding that the appellant did not prosecute within reasonable time.”

Elsewhere, the justice said the high court judge misapplied the principle in Henry Gabriel where the Supreme Court granted bail to the man even as he was charged with the non-bailable murder offence.  Also, the justice held the high court judge granted bail to Keita without ‘substantial’ reasoning.

She said: “The learned trial judge in determining the bail application failed to give reason for the fact that the matter was not tried within a reasonable time, he failed to apply the laws to the facts correctly, Section 19 of the constitution was mentioned in the ruling without putting it into proper context and there was no correlation between the facts and the law.

“The citing of the case of Henry Gabriel supra was done by the way side and no proper recourse of the case was made by the learned trial judge. The learned judge failed to apply the principle in the said case correctly. The learned judge failed to appreciate the fact that the respondent was charged with rape punishable with life imprisonment.

“The learned trial judge failed to cite Section 99 of the CPC which specifically deals with bail and the matter at hand. It is clear from the foregoing that the learned trial judge did not handle the matter properly, with due respect to the learned trial judge he misdirected material facts, misapplied principles and failed to apply the law correctly to the facts, therefore the ruling is completely flawed and devoid of reasoning and comprehension.

“I hold the view that the learned trial judge’s decision is not supported by evidence. The appeal succeeds and the ruling dated 11th August 2020 is hereby set aside. The respondent’s bail is hereby revoked. The respondent shall be arrested and remanded in custody pending the trial and determination of the charges against him.”

Fellow Justice Haddy Cecilia Roche agreed with her while Justice Basirou Vassili Portier Mahoney dissented.

The nation’s players will have to wait until June for any packages government is said to be sorting out to them after they helped the nation reach the Africa Cup of Nations.

The players were on Tuesday evening feted by the government with the First Lady and ministers attending.

The players as well as citizens have anticipated what package the government was preparing for them after their heroics.

The Fatu Network understands there was mild confusion at the dinner on Tuesday evening but the players have been told a special package was being prepared for them which they would get when they represent the country at international friendly matches in June.

Kexx Sanneh has been released on bail by police following his arrest on Monday.

Police on Monday said they took Sanneh into custody after he falsely claimed to have been kidnappened. Police said their investigations revealed that the PDOIS youth bureau chief was never kidnapped or abducted.

The Fatu Network understands police released him on Tuesday – and Sanneh himself has taken to Facebook to say the outcome of investigations will clear the air.

Njie Manneh has asked the media to be on the watch out as he could finally leave National People’s Party.

Manneh has in past months been complaining he is being blocked from seeing President Barrow. He intensified his complaints in an audio heard by The Fatu Network.

“They block me every time I want to see the president,” he said, adding, “I have contacted all media houses to get ready for a big action. I will attempt to see the president again but if I get blocked, I will leave.”

Manneh has been a true-hearted supporter of the president but he has never been able to see him.

A total of 6,833 Gambians have so far been inoculated against the deadly coronavirus, according to the health ministry.

The Gambia has 36,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine and the government has been jabbing citizens.

The health ministry revealed in its latest report that 6,833 people are the number of people who have been vaccinated.

President Adama Barrow is the first citizen to have been vaccinated.

The Drug Law Enforcement Agency is contemplating pressing money laundering charges against fugitive Banta Keita.

The DLEAG has been on the tail of Keita since cocaine worth billions of dalasis was seized at the port in January. He is accused of being the owner.

He has been on the run ever since amid him and his ‘accomplice’ being charged for aggravated drug trafficking.

The Fatu Network now understands the DLEAG is considering slamming money laundering charges against him.

An Islamic teacher in Louga, Senegal Abdou Latif Cissé has been sentenced to five years in prison after one of his students died after he beat him, according to Senego.

Senego reported on Tuesday Cisse had beaten 15-year-old Habiboulaye Camara and the student later died. He has been sentenced to five years in prison and will also pay 10 million CFA in damages.

During his trial, the teacher denied some of the charges but admitted lashing the deceased four times on February 16, 2020 after he failed to memorise his lesson of the day.

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has named Finance minister Dr. Phillip Mpango, 63, as the new Vice President of the United Republic of Tanzania.

His name was presented to parliament for approval on Tuesday after Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan nominated him.

“Under the constitution, the new Vice president has to be approved by at least 50 percent of the Members of Parliament,” The Citizen newspaper said.

Tanzanian MPs have now unanimously approved Dr. Philip Mpango as the country’s new Vice President.

He fills the VP position which was left vacant after  Samia Suluhu Hassan was sworn in as President following the death of Dr. John Pombe Magufuli.

Dr. Philip Mpango until today’s appointment was the Minister for Finance and Planning of the United Republic of Tanzania and has been in office since November 2015.

According to Tanzania’s Constitution, the vice presidency vacancy must be filled within 14 days from when it falls vacant.

“After consultation with the political party to which he or she belongs, the President shall propose the name of the person who shall be vice-president, and such appointment shall be confirmed by the National Assembly by votes of not less than 50 percent of all members of parliament,” Article 37 of the Constitution states. (CGTN Africa)

Everyone wants their team to get through to the final round of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Cameroon… but apparently no-one wants it quite as much as Sierra Leone’s president, Julius Maada Bio.

In a match against Benin tonight, the Leone Stars need to get at least a 1-0 victory – or to win by a two goal margin if they concede a goal – in order to go through, while Benin just needs a draw to qualify. It’s 25 years since Sierra Leone last made it to the AFCON finals – before many of the current team were even born.

So, while he was visiting a training session, the President decided to really inspire the team, promising each player $10,000 (100 million leones) and a parcel of land if they qualify. He spoke to the BBC’s Mohamed Fajah Barrie.

“We’ve done it before and we can do it again… ours is a football loving nation and we have to make our people proud.”

Benin players have refused to play in protest after several of their players were alleged to have returned positive Covid-19 tests, according to Super Sport.

By BBC with agencies

Fishmeal factory Golden Lead has been ordered to stop its expansion programme in Gunjur, officials have told The Fatu Network.

Reports on Tuesday said the factory had been issued a ‘stop’ notice by National Environment Agency. Some suggested the company was shut down.

A top NEA official told The Fatu Network the factory was indeed served with a ‘stop’ notice regarding the factory’s expansion programme after it appeared to have encroached the garden of the women of Gunjur.

The notice is not meant for the closing down of operation of the company but their new expansion, the official added.