Kaddy Samateh has accused respected police prosecutor Almameh James Manga of insulting her mother and detaining her unlawfully.

Kaddy Samateh is the mother of the one-month-old baby who etched her name in history by having her baby by her side in jail following her May 2016 arrest and detention.

She charged police officer Almameh James Manga of detaining her unlawfully when she appeared before the TRRC on Wednesday.

“We were going to court at Kanifing but we later got bailed. It was in the night at 9pm. After we got bailed, I went home. One day, I forgot whether it was a Monday or Wednesday, they called and said we should go court.

“When we went to court, when the session was over, Almamo Manga he is a police at headquarters, said to us, ‘enter the vehicle’. I said to him, ‘where are you taking us?’ He insulted by mother. They put us in a vehicle and we went all the way to headquarters and they brought us down there. He is at headquarters. He wears a white shirt and a blue trousers,” she alleged.

According to Mrs Samateh, it was six of them who got put in a vehicle and taken to the police headquarters.

“It was myself, Lili Bojang, Famata Sarr, Amie Bayo, Baby Aisha and Isatou Saidy. We were the ones put in a vehicle and taken to headquarters,” she told the TRRC.

Asked whether the judge was aware of this, she said: “No, he was not aware.”

“I couldn’t do anything about it,” Samateh said when asked how she felt about her mother being insulted.

Samateh claimed they were then made to sit in a cell when they got to the police headquarters by Manga.

“He (Manga) didn’t tell us anything. We were sitting there for long and he got up and came and called Isatou Saidy, Famata Sarr, Amie Bayo and they released those people. Myself Kaddy Samateh, Baby Aisha [and] Lili Bojang, he close the cell door and left us there,” she said.

“It was pleasing to him, since he said we were the UDP headstrong and they knew my husband,” she said when asked why she thought they were not released alongside the other women.

In describing the cell she was put in, Samateh said: “It was a tight cell with a door. It had a small hole.”

She also told the TRRC: “We were inside, Baby Aisha was crying. Someone was passing and heard her crying and said, ‘Oh, there’s a baby crying here’. He found a policewoman there and said to her ‘there’s a baby crying here, who put the baby here’. She told him, ‘it’s Almamo Manga, he is in his office’. The person went to him and told him if this was your child you would not have done what you did.”

When asked how she knew about this conversation as she was locked inside a cell, she said: “It was when I came out that that person told me that, he is friends with my husband but I forgot his name.”

‘I hope they do’

Superintendent Manga has dismissed the allegations and told The Fatu Network he is ready to go to the TRRC to set the record straight.

“I hope they do [contact me],” he said.

He then explained: “They were not acquitted and discharged by the magistrates court, they were merely discharged.

“The state counsel at the time called me to say that these people are going to be discharged today and we want them re-arrrested, that there is a charge against them at the high court. So that’s basically what happened. They were not acquitted and discharged by the magistrates court.

“When she was arrested, she was with her baby, all along she was with her baby detained at the PIU. I don’t work at the PIU, I don’t know what happened at the PIU, I only met them at the court and then when I saw her with the baby, I asked her ‘whose baby is this’, she said it’s her baby. I said ‘but the baby was not arrested’. The baby wasn’t even charged and she said the baby was charged which is a big lie. The records are there, you can go to the Kanifing Magistrates Court and see for yourself. We told her to give the baby to a family member and she said no.

“Our job is to arrest her and take her to Banjul. We arrested her and we came to Banjul. At the Banjul Police Station, we told them that these people have been re-arrested, their matter is to be heard at the high court now, so you keep them here. I never saw this lady again and she even confirmed that.

“When she asked, I told her ‘we’re going to Banjul’, that’s all. To insult a lady? Anybody who knows me knows that I don’t use those words. I do not curse people who are even younger than me let alone a woman. She was not fighting with me, I don’t insult people. That is not my character. If you have the opportunity, ask all of them Nogoi Njie and others [about me] and keep quiet, listen to their stories. I did not prosecute them, they were prosecuted by the state counsel. And even Darboe himself if you ask him.”

“Which police officer is that? If at all what I did was wrong, I was just an ASP at the time, what did the authorities do to take action against me or to release them?” Manga said of charges a police officer confronted him over the act.

Lamin Dibba’s family has apologised to Gambians over their move in rejecting D50,000 given to the family by President Adama Barrow.

Former Lands Minister Dibba died last month and President Barrow asked a delegation sent to his burial to hand over D50,000 to the family.

But the family in a letter to top aide to President Barrow Dembo Bojang on Dec 22 rejected the money asked Bojang to facilitate the money’s return to the president.

In a statement shared with The Fatu Network, the family explained: “After a careful review and consideration of the receipt of the D50,000 charitable donation form the Barrow government representatives during the funeral and burial of the late Hon. Lamin N DIBBA, on behalf of the immediate family, I wish to make it known that we have respectfully declined the D50,000 and returned the money to the Gambia Government authorities on Tuesday, December 22nd, 2020.

“The Dibba family would like to humbly reiterate the fact that, their father, grandfather, brother and uncle was a simple and contented man, who evidently devoted his entire life to national development through community development as field officer, parliamentarian and a former member of the Gambia government as a cabinet minister through the ministry of Local Government and Land and subsequently the ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

“Below are some of the reasons why the family deemed it prudent to respectfully decline the D50,000 charatable donation: since his death on Sunday, November 14th until his burial day on Sunday, November 22nd, 2020, the office of the president did not send any formal delegation to the immediate family of the late Hon. Lamin N. Dibba to extend His Excellency, President Adama Barrow’s condolence message. Instead, they chose to send an official delegation on the very day of our Father’s burial, to present an envelope containing money at the masjid/mosque. This was very disappointing, disheartening, and disrespectful;

“Earlier this year, 2020, upon his return from Malaysia where he went to seek Medical Treatment, our father requested assistance for clearance from the Gambia Government to go to senegal to begin treatment. This was necessary at the time because the border was closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For a few months, the Gambia Government was engaged officially up to the Foreign Ministry level, but unfortunately no timely assistance was given. The Gambia Government simply failed to facilitate a mere clearance to get him to senegal in a timely manner, a situation we found unacceptable considering his deteriorating health condition at the time. How can the MOFA delay an emergency medical clearance for a former cabinet member who had top clearance serving the Government to the neighboring Senegal?

“The family family was promised an ambulance to transport the remains of our father to his home village of Salikenne by Gambia Government officials from the Banjul International Airport. The ambulance never showed at the airport no November 22nd, 2020. Further arrangements were made to have an ambulance at the Banjul ferry terminal,but the family decided to proceed without the ambulance. As such, it was his sons who drove their father’s coffin in his pickup truck from the airport to Salikenne with the support of his UDP family.

“The list of reasons continues and needless to enumerate all. It is our option that the Gambia Government under the leadership of the Excellency, President Adama Barrow acted in bad faith throughout this entire journey for reasons best known to them. We know very well that our late father was a close confidant of President Barrow prior to his dismissal.

“The children and entire family of Hon.Lamin N. Dibba believes that he deserved more in terms of support (excluding financial donation) from the Gambian Government. As aforementioned, he served this nation as a Community Development Officer, a National Assembly Member and held two Ministerial portfolios. He would have preferred the befitting funeral he got, simple and nothing out of the ordinary, knowing the type of person he was.

“We are aware of the saddened by several remarks already made by the Barrow Government with reference to our late father, one as recent as last Tuesday, December 22 during the president’s Meet the People’s Tour at Soma. This confirmed part of our fears and reasons that warranted the return of this money. Although we believe that those comments were inappropriate, insensitive, immature and should not have been uttered at all especially at a constitutionally mandated event, we have chosen not to respond to that as part of this statement. However, we are hereby requesting that the Ferry Services through the Gambia Government provide us with an invoice, for the use of the Ferry services by 47 vehicles so that the Gambian Government can be reimbursed.

“To this effect, we kindly ask all especially the Government of His Excellency Adama Barrow to please let our father, the late Lamin N. Dibba rest in peace.

“If we may, the Gambia Government should consider sending delegations to the immediate families of the deceased to pay respect and condolences in our traditional Gambian way. This will only not be sufficient but would be more rewarding and appreciated by the family than the cash donations. Public statements and pleasantries can subsequently follow afterwards if required by the Government.

“In conclusion, our family deeply regrets and sincerely apologizes in advance if our joint formal response causes any form of discomfort and or in case our position and response on this matter is misunderstood or taken out of context. Quite honestly however, it is our fervent conviction that we as a family cannot simply acknowledge receipt of this gesture owing to the reasons aforementioned/ unmentioned.

“Finally, while we sincerely recognize and appreciate all the condolences and prayers from genuine well-wishers, we also ask all to please respect our family’s privacy during this difficult period and give us time to grieve.”

The D30 Foundation on Wednesday said Lamin Sanneh, Njaga Jagne and Alagie Jaja Nyass knew the risk as they went about a dangerous venture to remove Jammeh.

Eight Gambians with military background led by former army lieutenant colonel Lamin Sanneh attacked State House on December 30, 2014 in an attempt to seize the compound. The attack misfired in which three people got killed including Sanneh.

This year marks six years since the tragic event and the D30 Foundation in a press release on Wednesday said: “In December 2014, a group of Gambian citizens, realizing that it will take a shake-up of the status quo in order to end abuse and tyranny in their beloved motherland, took it upon themselves to defend the dignity and honour of their people who were being killed, tortured, maimed, disappeared, raped, and abused by the Jammeh tyranny machine. After years of participating in numerous civic efforts to stop Yahya Jammeh’s brutal tyranny, they came to a sobering realization that only force would unclench the widespread and entrenched stranglehold Jammeh had on The Gambia.

“No longer able to bear witness to the long suffering of their people, these gallant heroes of that December found themselves compelled beyond caring for their own personal lives and livelihoods. They risked everything to attempt a daring rescue of their nation and its citizenry from the clutches of brutality. They all knew the risks, yet they were driven by a cause greater than them. In their effort to bring freedom to their people, three of these gallant sons of the land laid down their lives. Their heavy gift was in effort to secure freedom for everyone of us and our future generations. They are Colonel Lamin Sanneh, Captain Njaga Jagne, and Sergeant Alagie Jaja Nyass.

“Indeed they were proven right. It was only the threat of looming and eminent force from the ECOWAS Military Intervention in The Gambia (ECOMIG) that finally removed dictator Jammeh from power.

“We have all witnessed the irrefutable evidence that continues to emerge from the Truth, Reconciliation, and Reparations Commission (TRRC) cataloguing the wanton brutality of the Jammeh regime over more than two decades. A regime that left in its wake untold victims, immense pain, and immeasurable suffering. Many mothers lost their sons, sons lost their mothers. Many children lost their fathers, fathers lost their children. Many wives lost their husbands, husbands lost their wives. And an entire nation was held captive in an atmosphere of mass fear and silence. In a sense, our entire nation suffered in various ways, to varying degrees.

“This year marks the sixth year since the D30 Heroes gave all to their beloved Gambia. We implore all patriots to honour their memory by cherishing the peoples’ freedom that these gallant men watered with their blood. We ask each Gambian to commit to their own individual responsibility in guarding the freedom that was paid for so heavily by not only these heroes of December 30th, 2014, but by many others whose blood and sacrifices have stained this soil and watered our collective freedom. Let each of us hold our self responsible for ensuring that this country will never again kneel down from the pain of our people.

“We pray for Colonel Lamin Sanneh, Captain Njaga Jagne, and Sergeant Alagie Jaja Nyass. We pray for ALL victims of tyranny, and for the souls of all Gambians, and indeed all Africans who gave their lives for the freedom of their people. At this moment, we ask everyone in the nation to join us in remembering their sacrifices and what compelled such heroes to give so heavily of themselves in an effort to rescue their motherland. Join us to pay tribute, pray for their souls to rest in eternal peace, and celebrate their legacy.”

The family of Lamin Dibba has turned away D50,000 given by President Adama Barrow over the death of the former minister of lands.

Dibba died last month in Germany and was buried in his native Salikeni on Nov 22 where a delegation of the president travelled to and gave D50,000.

The family however in a letter to the president’s top adviser on religious matters Dembo Bojang on Dec 22 said they have ‘respectfully’ declined to utilise the money and decided to return it back to President Barrow. Bojang was then asked to facilitate the money’s return in a stunning letter seen by The Fatu Network.

A lot of men in Bwiam did not turn up at President Adama Barrow’s meeting held in the village on Tuesday, according to Hamat Bah.

President Barrow on Tuesday held meetings in Bwiam and Sibanor as part of his nationwide tour.

But according to Tourism Minister Hamat Bah, not many men of Bwiam which is Foni Kansala where former President Jammeh hails from turned up. Jammeh is from Kanilai which is also in Foni Kansala.

Hamat said: “True, there’s something that happened here today. A lot of men [of] Bwiam didn’t turn up. But you do not get it all in this world. We’re almost at 40 meetings that we have held since we started the tour.

“But there is something I always tell President Barrow: anything that you’re into in this world and seeking it, if you’re with women and children, you will get it. When I entered here and saw the women and [saw how] buoyant they are I had chills.

“So what I told President Barrow, I will repeat it again: anyone who tastes like sugar and honey to the women, the men too are into you. And you (President Barrow) will have (rule) this country again InshaAllah.”

President Adama Barrow’s meetings on Wednesday have been postponed amid the death of his driver Jerreh Fatty.

State House chief driver Fatty died early Wednesday.

“Due to the sad situation, all the Meet the People meetings scheduled for today at Bullock and Kuloro have been postponed till further notice,” State House in a statement said.

The president commiserated with the family of Fatty in a Facebook post this morning where he described news of his death as devastating.

“Jerreh would be remembered for his role in the political struggles to advance democracy in the country.

“He died in active service after an illness. Jerreh Fatty was admired by many because of his dedication and gentle personality,” the president said.

President Adama Barrow called Jerreh Fatty ‘my friend’ as he reacted to the death of the chief driver at State House.

Fatty died early Wednesday.

The president wrote on his official Facebook page this morning: “I have received devastating news that my friend and colleague, Jerreh Fatty passed away. My sincere and heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, co-workers and the entire Fatty Family in Kiang and Sukuta Nema.

“Jerreh would be remembered for his role in the political struggles to advance democracy in the country. He died in active service after an illness. Jerreh Fatty was admired by many because of his dedication and gentle personality. He has been survived by three wives and children.”

Seedy Njie has likened MC Cham Jnr behaviour to a wounded lion heading to his grave – as he led the NPP contingent in pushing back at claims by the GDC national youth president.

MC Cham Jnr on Tuesday claimed NPP ferried people from Casamance to embellished its meetings held in Foni on Monday.

Seedy Njie in a riposte shared with The Fatu Network blasted back: “My friend’s desperate position is borne out of anger and political frustration simply because former key officials of GDC including Dr Demba Sabally, their former National Chairman among others hailed from Foni Jarrol all the GDC structures in Foni Jarrol and Foni Bondali respectively is rendering GDC lifeless.

“MC Cham’s smear campaign and false allegation are not normal in a normal situation, it’s like a wounded lion heading to its grave. The defection of five hundred and thirty-four supporters of GDC to NPP yesterday at Bambara Foni Bondali including Yankuba Trawally who was GDC constituency Mobiliser and GDC Regional Secretary for West Coast and the demise of GDC at grassroots level nationwide is a bitter reality my friend and his remnants will have to accept.

“MC Cham’s allegations are false and an insult to the good people of Foni especially Giyonkel village in Foni Jarrol which is more than three hundred years old whose Alkalo is Modou Bah. Kampassa village he named is the home village of Hon Borry Colly former Member of Parliament for Foni Jarrol. The oracles and the dead from these villages are angry with MC Cham right now. Pateh is never a village rather a name of a person and there is no village call Kambusema.

“These child play allegation are unacceptable and the people of Foni need an apology . How can a National Youth President of a Party accused a village in The Gambia which produced a MP for over a decade and brand them all nonGambian this is an insult to Hon Borry LSB Colly and his entire villagers.”

The TRRC has been told General Saul Badjie was at the Police Intervention Unit headquarters in Kanifing following the rounding up of the April 14, 2016 protesters.

Modou Ngum who was seen as one of the leaders of the protest alongside Ebrima Solo Sandeng appeared before the TRRC on Monday and he told the probe former powerful military aide of former President Yahya Jammeh was at PIU headquarters alongside other security top officials.

Ngum told the TRRC: “When we got to the PIU, they took us to a hall. They asked us to sit on the floor when we got there. I sat by the door. But before that, I saw Yankuba Colley in a red hat running in and clapping for the paras (police).

“He was telling them ‘job well done, job well done’. That was where I heard him calling Nogoi by telling her ‘Nogs, you people planned a coup detat’. Nogoi said to him how could someone who had a banner and whistle plan a coup. He kept quiet.

“Later, the leaders of the security forces came. I saw senior Bai Faal (then interior minister Ousman Sonko), he was saluted by the paras (police). I saw presidential guard commander there General Saul Badjie, I saw NIA director Yankuba Badjie and his deputy Louis Richard Gomez and his operations commander Sheikh Omar Jeng. I saw the IG Yankuba Sonko, I saw Lamin Beyai too. We came from the same village Tujereng. He is NIA.”

GMC leader Mai Ahmad Fatty has pummeled back at comments by Modou Ngum GMC members were informed about the April 2016 Solo Sandeng protest but did not turn up.

Ngum who featured in the protest told the TRRC on Monday Solo Sandeng told them NRP, PPP and GMC were all informed about the protest.

“Mr. Ngum must have had his facts partly wrong. At the time I was already living in exile and not in The Gambia, and had no contacts with anyone within the UDP in The Gambia except Hon. Ousainu Darboe himself. GMC was also not present at such a meeting as alleged, and we were not notified as a Party. I believe Mr. Ngum made an innocent mistake for which he would acknowledge,” Mai Fatty said in a message posted to his official Facebook page.

The GMC leader added: “Hon Ousainu Darboe, the UDP Leader with whom I had a long telephone briefing while I was in exile, on the morning of their protest, would himself corroborate this fact. I am sure he agrees with me on this.

“There were many Gambians including journalists who were with me at the time living in exile, some of whom attended the international press conference I sponsored and held at Dakar Radisson Hotel on the death of late Sandeng, including the political volatility of the moment. It is important that the records be put into correct historical context.

“It is rather unfortunate that there are those ill-conceived minds who are bent on expanding misinformation out of Mr. Ngum’s mistaken testimony, and making cheap politics out this tragedy for partisan reasons. I condemn the shameless politicization of such a national tragedy.”

The TRRC has heard April 14 protester Kafu Bayo told his wife she’s sick when the woman told him she saw him in a dream getting arrested.

Bayo was one of the protesters arrested alongside Solo Sandeng on April 14, 2016 during a protest at Westfield.

Modou Ngum took the TRRC through the events that took place in the run up to the protest on Monday and he detailed how Kafu Bayo’s wife advised him to cancel his participation in the protest.

Ngum said: “When we were in Kafu Bayo’s compound, his wife came out of the house when we parked the vehicle. People were sitting waiting for us. She said ‘Bayo, don’t you think you should let this go?’ She told him, ‘yesterday, I dreamt police arrested you at Westfield, cuffed you, they threw you into a truck and they went with you to a dark place. She told him, ‘Bayo abandon your trip’.

“He said to his wife, ‘you’re not well, I will go’. His wife then told me (Modou), ‘for you I know you will not hear me even if I told you not to go’. I told her, ‘brew ataya and give us to drink so that we can go’.”

Fatoumatta Sandeng has disclosed an early morning conversation he had with his father Ebrima Solo Sandeng – as the UDP political activist got set for a protest he organised.

On April 14, 2016, Mr Sandeng led a group of UDP supporters and marched to Westfield to protest against Jammeh’s rule. He was murdered following his arrest by police.

Daughter Fatoumatta Sandeng appearing before the TRRC today disclosed what her father told her in a conversation that proved to be their last.

“On April 14, we woke up to pray Fajr. It was myself, my mom and my dad. So after praying, he turned. I was already getting up to go prepare for work and he told me… I was usually called Aji Fatou at home.

“He told me we will be going on a peaceful protest today. He told me ‘but I don’t know if it would end well’. He told me ‘but whatever happens, make sure you take care of the family’. And I will say I’m not the oldest.

“But at that time, my elder sister was in Basse for posting. She worked with the MRC. And my elder brother was also in Senegal. So I was literally the oldest at that time. So when he told me that, he told me not to come back home after work until I hear that everything was fine.

[That] he would also make sure my mom and kids are safe before he leaves. So that’s how I left for work and that’s the last time I saw him and spoke to him,” Mrs Sandeng told the TRRC.

GDC national youth president MC Cham Jnr has charged that National People’s Party transported foreigners from Casamance to its meetings in Foni on Monday.

President Barrow and his NPP on Monday held meetings in Sintet and Bambara, as the second part of his tour of the nation got underway.

But according to MC Cham Jnr, the NPP brought people from Casamance to fill up their meeting venues.

He said: “The political interference that happened yesterday in Foni is nothing but a betrayal to our founders who gave us a sovereign state to protect. The importation of people from Kambusema, Kambasa, Giyokel and Pateh in Cassamance who claims to be GDC supporters to fill up the meeting venue for the NPP was totally uncalled for.

“This was done by the NPP as they found it very impossible to get a substantive number for the meeting. This is evidently proven as many indigents of Foni are an eyewitnesses, as Gelegele were loaded with non-Gambians from the Cassamas territory to the meeting ground.

“Gambian politics is for The Gambians and the interference of any nationality is directly undermining our decision as citizens of this country.

“As Gambians will be queuing on the 14th January, 2021 for the registration on new voters card. I am imploring on all concern citizens and institutions to be watchdogs to this process to making sure that all other nationalities are denied the access to decide for The Gambian in the race to the 2021 State House.”

The army has said the deployment of troops to Kerr Pateh, NBR has successfully curbed the occurrence of armed robbery in the area.

In his end of year message, army chief Yakuba Drammeh said the army in 2020 maintained its operational tempo with a new deployment at Kerr Pateh village in the North Bank Region.

“This was precipitated by incidences of armed robberies and banditry activities by unscrupulous groups of individuals that threaten the peace and security in these communities.

“It is therefore, heartening to report that the deployment has been able to successfully curb the occurrence of these activities by criminals in the general area,” the army chief said.

President Adama Barrow has told citizens in Foni he wants everyone to board his bus – but warned those who will be looking out for their personal interest not to get on his bus.

Speaking in Bambara in Foni Jarol on Monday evening, the president said: “In 2016, it was Noah’s ark that I came with. It was a case of you either enter the ship or get drowned. That’s what I said in 2016.

“This year, I have a bus. I want everyone to enter the bus. But the bus has rules: anyone who wants to work for the country we want you to board the bus.

“[But] anyone who knows it’s about your personal interest, we will get you out if you enter.”

The president told the people of Foni they were now scheduled to get every piece of development they failed to get during the rules of former presidents Jawara and Jammeh.

“You will get it all during President Barrow’s government,” the president said.

Popular Serahule musician Banta Sahoneh has died in a car accident in Kiang, sources close to the musician have confirmed.

Chamoi, Wuli native Sahoneh was returning to the country from Mali when the car he was travelling in had one of its tyres wrecked.

The artist reportedly died instantly while his driver got seriously injured in a ghastly accident that occurred in Kiang Kwinella on Monday evening.

Star FM/TV in a statement shared with The Fatu Network described Sahoneh’s death as a great loss to the Serahule community in The Gambia.