Nigeria leader Muhammadou Buhari has told President Adama Barrow the role Ecowas played in sacking former President Yahya Jammeh wasn’t just about helping President Barrow but also Ecowas.

“I was in Gambia physically at least two times. It was the least we could do to stabilize the region. We’ve accepted multi-party democracy, and we must comply with its tenets. By supporting you, we were supporting ECOWAS. We are dealing with our own troubles here, but we will continue to support you bilaterally, and through ECOWAS,” President Buhari told President Barrow who is on an official visit to Nigeria, according to Vanguard Nigeria.

Ecowas troops including Nigerian soldiers were unleashed to The Gambia in January 2017 when Jammeh refused to step down. Jammeh then fled.

As The Gambia goes to the polls next year, President Buhari pledged Nigeria’s support in different ways possible, Vanguard Nigeria reported on Thursday.

According to the outlet, President Barrow said his visit was actually to say thank you to Nigeria once again for its multifarious helps, noting that the support had been unflinching since he got to office in 2017.

“You have given us technical support in the Ministry of Education, in Ministry of Justice, and in many other areas. We are grateful,” President Barrow said, according to Vanguard Nigeria.

Going forward, President Barrow said his country still needed Nigeria’s stabilizing force, “as things would have been very difficult for us without the invaluable support you gave,” Vanguard Nigeria said.

Mai Fatty has asked Gambians to ponder over National People’s Party being the richest political party in West Africa, a day he dropped the huge claim opposition leaders have had their cellphone lines tapped allegedly on the direct orders of President Adama Barrow.

“The NPP has more vehicles than many government departments that need them to deliver essential services,” Mai Fatty wrote on Thursday.

The GMC leader continued: “While hospitals lack critical supplies and our women are dying preventable deaths daily, NPP continues to expand its vehicle fleet across the country. Think about that. Police & Immigration lack vehicles to protect you and hospitals lack enough ambulances while NPP offers brand new 4wheel pick-up trucks to its surrogates across the country. Think about that.

“Barely a year of its formation, the NPP has so far proven to be one of the wealthiest political Parties in West Africa, with the aptitude to rent expensive office locations throughout the country. Think about that. On the contrary, some government departments continue to experience tough space challenges to accommodate required government employees. Think about that.

“While there is superfluous fanfare around politically motivated projects, our institutions are collapsing, with zero reforms. Think about that. While the future of the youth is being mortgaged to the Banks through huge debts incurred in their name, they wallow without gainful employment. Think about that. Our marine resources have been sold to Chinese and other concerns, the average Gambian cannot afford to buy fish. Think about that.”

By Lamin Njie

The attorney defending Bubacarr Keita on Thursday asked the high court in Bundung to make sure the rape case of the businessman is taken ‘seriously’.

“My Lord, I think we need to take this matter very seriously. I don’t want to downplay the charge but similarly, we cannot downplay the fact that a person’s life is hanging in the balance. He cannot stand there and give statements,” Lamin S Camara told judge Momodou SM Jallow.

The lawyer made the comments after the senior state lawyer in the case attempted to ‘guide’ a key witness in a trial that has generated national interest.

The case returned on Thursday during which Keita’s ex-wife began answering a question regarding her divorce.

“February 12, 2020 was when my marriage ended in divorce,” the witness testified at one point. She had earlier pushed back at any suggestions of her marriage collapsing on 6 November 2019 by saying she couldn’t remember what happened on that date ‘because as far as I can recall my marriage collapsed in February 2020’.

The resumption of the case on Thursday first saw state attorneys lose their bid to have the court disallow anything that has to do with the witness’s divorce.

The agriculture ministry has announced it is revising the farm-gate price for a metric ton of groundnut upwards to up to D23,000 – and that farmers are now at liberty to sell their groundnut to whomsoever they want – and ditching its initial gate price of D20,700.

Last month, the agriculture ministry railed that certain persons and private entities in buying groundnut directly from farmers and evacuating it outside the country without following due process. The claim immediately faced backlash.

On Thursday, the ministry in a statement said ‘individuals’ are at liberty to sell their groundnut to institutions and places of their choice.

“However, individuals or institutions that intend to be sales agents [sic] are required to registered [sic] with the National Food Security Processing and Marketing Corporation formerly Gambia Groundnut Corporation,” the ministry said in a statement. “This is necessary for the government to ensure the proper standards are maintained and to take account of the total tonnage of groundnut being sold for planning purposes.”

By Lamin Njie

State lawyers led by Alasan Jobe have lost in their bid for the high court in Bundung to disallow questions about the divorce of a key witness in the rape trial of businessman Bubacarr Keita.

Senior state lawyer Alasan Jobe had on Wednesday asked judge Momodou SM Jallow not to allow the defence ask anything regarding the divorce of Bubacarr Keita’s ex-wife, as it was ‘not in issue’ – and that ‘it is not something that she ever mentioned in her examination-in-chief’.

Keita’s lawyer had on Wednesday fired back that the senior state lawyer’s objection was ‘misconceived’ – and on Thursday he only escalated his position.

“My Lord, as I indicated yesterday, the objection is misconceived as the issue of the divorce has been constantly alluded to by the witness in her statement, referring to the accused person as ‘my ex-husband’,” Lamin S Camara contended at the resumption of the trial on Thursday.

The lawyer, dressed in his wig and gown, contended more: “My Lord this is not an issue introduced by the defence. It was introduced in the evidence-in-chief severally by the prosecution.

“My learned friend said in his submission that cross-examination should be confined to the witness’s testimony-in-chief. I quote him verbatim. That is really wrong in law.”

Camara then in his bid to convince the judge to ignore what the senior state lawyer first referred the judge to Section 192 (2) of the Evidence Act.

“It reads, ‘the examination and cross-examination must relate to relevant facts but cross-examination need not to be confined to the facts which the witness testified on in his evidence-in-chief’. That’s absolutely clear, you can cross-examine on anything beyond the evidence-in-chief. So we are very well within the confines of the law to ask questions related to the incidents on the 6th of November 2019 and which are important to the facts in issue,” Camara said.

Camara then asserted he will ‘demonstrate’ to the court how asking the witness questions about her divorce are related and relevant to the ‘facts in issue’.

He told the attentive judge: “My Lord I refer you to Section 6, Section 7, Section 9 and Section 11 of the Evidence Act, how the divorce is relevant to the facts in issue.

“Section 6 reads, ‘facts which though not an issue, are so connected with a fact in issue as to form part of the same transaction’. These are issues that happened on the 6th of November 2019, the divorce and the first report at the police station. They occurred at the same time and would have been relevant even if they had occurred at different times under Section 6. Section 6 says they are relevant. And My Lord because they are relevant under Section 6, they are admissible under Section 3 which says ‘relevance is the test of admissibility’.

“My Lord and now Section 7 reads, ‘facts which are the occasion, cause or effect of facts, immediately or otherwise of relevant fact or facts in issue or which constitutes the state of things under which they happen or which accord and afford an opportunity for their occurrence or transaction are relevant. My Lord this is beyond clear that this event of the 6th, the divorce, preceding the police report is relevant for this trial, having regard for the evidence that the complainant was pregnant for 21 weeks and a complaint was not lodged within that 21 weeks.

“Section 11, ‘when facts not otherwise relevant become relevant’. Facts not otherwise relevant; (a) if they are inconsistent with any fact in issue or relevant fact, that’s not what we are relying on, we’re relying on (b): ‘if they themselves in connection with other facts, they make the existence or non-existence of a fact in issue or a relevant fact probable or improbable’. What is the motive of the first complaint after the divorce was granted on the 6th of November 2019. It is relevant. It goes to explain the motive here My Lord and that’s what we’re talking about.

“And finally, Section 202 of the Evidence Act which will lay the whole thing to rest… It says questions lawful in cross-examination. [It reads], ‘when a witness is cross-examined, he may in addition to the question herein before referred to be asked any questions which tend to; (a) to test the accuracy, veracity or credibility’ – and let me pause here… The question to the witness was ‘what eventful thing happened on the 6th?’ Testing the veracity of the witness who told us in her evidence in chief that she went to lodge a report at the police. She said she doesn’t remember. Less than two hours after having said she reported the matter on the 6th, you said you don’t remember anything eventful that happened, conspicuously avoiding the divorce issue. My Lord the other part of it (Section 202) (b) to discover who he is and what is his position in life or to shake his credit by injuring his character. I have a right as a defence to do that. And therefore the objection is baseless. The question is perfectly legitimate because it’s relevant under Sections 6, 7, 9, 11, 202 and 3 of the Evidence Act and most importantly Section 192 of the EA.”

The senior state counsel when asked by the judge to respond to the defence lawyer’s argument on ‘points of law’ said he would like to define what ‘fact’ is as defined in Section 2 of the Evidence Act.

“‘Fact in issue includes any fact from which either by itself or in connection with other facts in existence, non-existence, nature or extent of any right, liability or disablity asserted or denied in any suit or proceedings necessarily follows’. That is the definition of fact under Section 2. My Lord, the fact in issue in this case is not what happened or transpired on the 6th of November. It has nothing absolutely [with the issue]. The witness in fact never said she was divorced on the 6th,” the Alasan Jobe said, in comments that were quickly met by protestation from the defence lawyer Lamin Camara.

“Sorry My Lord, I don’t want to interrupt but this is not a point of law. My learned friend can only reply on what I have raised or any other law but he cannot go into facts any more. That’s not law, that’s facts and I never said that too. I never said in my submission that she said she was divorced on the 6th,” Camara said.

The judge intervened and told the senior state lawyer he was only required to reply on points of law.

“Lead state counsel has gone into given facts and not points of law, senior defence counsel. Though he has touched on the only point of law which does not fall within what the Honourable Court will give credence to senior counsel’s objection on the question that he had asked. Please focus on points of law only, state counsel,” the judge said.

“Going by the definition of fact in issue which I read out under Section 2…,” the senior state lawyer said when asked by the judge to speak only on points of law or rather allow him to give a ruling on the issue.

Jobe then said after bending towards his two assistants for about 30 seconds: “The divorce of the witness does not fall under the ambit of fact in issue. I therefore urge this Honourable Court to dismiss the defence counsel’s reliance on Sections 6, 7, 9, 11 and 202 [of the EA] as it is not applicable in this instance.”

The judge in handing down his ruling said “so in cross-examination, what senior [defence] counsel has given to the court is the way, exact lines that any court will expect questioning to tread on”.

“Anything otherwise would be deviating and if you raise an objection will not upheld. But wherein he has even vaguely touched on any of those issues that bear on Sections that he has cited, the law will listen to that and allow such a question. The court will allow such a question to be asked based on the reason embedded in those sections senior counsel has ably cited,” he said.

The judge continued: “It is only when it is related to the marriage as a fact in issue that it can hold but notwithstanding, it has not affected the question in that the witness, ab initio, indicated that she was divorced, even at the stage of her details, she did. Those are all in record. So really I get worried when I see such objections.

“So please make sure that when they’re are questioning in cross-examination, anybody who is not well-grounded in the Evidence Act, go into it and be well-grounded and let questioning flow so that we are not delayed by raising objections. Because there is no way such an objection will be upheld. So please take note and just allow them to cross-examine. If he was questioning only on the issue of her divorce but look at the question. So state counsel present and any counsel present please listen to the court.

“Sometimes when we give you a hint about something, if you listen, we will make progress because certainly really there was no reason whatsoever to raise an objection in this instance and that’s my ruling. So the objection is overruled and the witness will be required to answer the question because it’s a fair question to ask in cross-examination.

“The question that senior counsel for the accused had asked is ruled relevant in cross-examination as it would help the court to establishing the veracity of the witness testimony to be relied on. Such a question would be admissible in cross-examination with the court having so ruled, inter alia, would allow the witness to answer I quote, ‘the second thing that happened the first being that after you had been granted a divorce’ which is ruled as a fair question to ask. Objection is overruled state counsel. Please answer the question PW 1.”

The witness in answering the question said the reason why she did not answer that question and that she couldn’t remember what happened on Nov. 6, 2019 is because as far as she could recall her marriage collapsed in February 2020.

“February 12, 2020 was when my marriage ended in divorce,” she said in a moment which saw the senior state lawyer wanting to intervene.

“My Lord, I just want to guide the witness. Since the court has ruled that the divorce is relevant to the fact in issue,” the senior state lawyer started saying but the defence lawyer asked the judge to have what the witness said go into the record first.

The defence lawyer insisted further that the statement be recorded even as the senior state counsel wanted to speak more.

“My Lord, I think we need to take this matter very seriously. I don’t want to downplay the charge but similarly, we cannot downplay the fact that a person’s life is hanging on the balance. He cannot stand there and give statements. The witness said she was not divorced on the 6th,” Camara blasted.

The judge stated that where anything concerns the veracity of witness’s testimony is for the record to capture it.

In continuing, the witness said ‘it is in fact because of this case that my marriage collapsed’.

“When I found out my sister was pregnant, on the day we went to the police to report it, they arrested him and he spent the night at the police, I spent the night in his house,” the witness said.

The case continues on Dec 10.

Lower Badibu representative Alhagie Jawara has shared why relations between President Adama Barrow and UDP leader Ousainou Darboe went down the drains.

Tensions began developing between father and son just a year after President Barrow took power – and it got to a head early last year when President Barrow sacked Darboe.

According to Alhagie Jawara, “the long and short of the conflict is a case of ‘get up, I sit… no, I will not get up’.”

“He (Darboe) wants power and Barrow also wants to stay in power. That’s the fact,” Jawara told The Fatu Network.

Jawara also discussed for the first time what led to his own sacking as a member of United Democratic Party. He said it was Darboe himself who advised him to support President Barrow at all costs.

He said: “At the initial stage in 2017 when we were elected, at our first party caucus, what our party leader told us is that what comes from UDP belongs to UDP and President Barrow is UDP. And by hook or hack, you people have to support President Barrow. At all costs. This is what Ousainou Darboe told us. If anybody don’t support President Barrow, know that you don’t support UDP government.

“He is the one who made me believe that Adama Barrow is somebody who is very loyal, Adama Barrow is somebody who respected him, Adama Barrow is somebody who is very honest. He is the one who said all these qualities about Adama Barrow, until it came to me that what this man is saying about Adama Barrow [is the truth]. And that’s what I also see in him.”

National Human Rights Commission has called on the government to consider and implement its recommendations to ensure that persons with disabilities enjoy a life of dignity and respect and can participate actively in the life of the country.

The Gambia today joins the rest of the world to commemorate International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) which is observed on 3 December, since 1992, to promote an understanding of disability issues and to urge States, as primary duty bearers, to fulfill their obligations towards persons with disabilities, especially their integration in all aspect of society and full and equal participation in political, economic, social and cultural spheres.

The theme for this year’s commemoration, “Building Back Better: toward a disability-inclusive, accessible and sustainable post-COVID-19 World”.

NHRC in a statement said there is no gainsaying the fact that the group of society tremendously affected by the devastating impact of COVID-19 is persons with disabilities, in particular the elderly, women, and children with disabilities.

“The state of public emergency, the restrictions placed on the movement of people, the social distancing guidelines, isolation measures, and the closure of the majority of businesses all had a negative impact on persons with disabilities,” NHRC said.

“Persons with disabilities in The Gambia continue to face lots of challenges and impediments in the enjoyment of their fundamental human rights, exacerbated by discrimination, stigmatization, economic disempowerment, limited access to educational opportunities and facilities, lack of social protection mechanisms to cushion them off the effects of poverty and absence of a legislative framework which articulates their rights and the obligations of the State towards them in line with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

“Access to mainstream services, public buildings, and public transportation remains a big challenge for persons with disabilities, and which in turn impede their participation in decision making. Thus, unfortunately in The Gambia, and for persons with disabilities, ‘disability remains inability’,” NHRC said.

In line with its mandate to promote and protect the fundamental rights of all including Persons with Disabilities, the NHRC is taking this opportunity to highlight the need for specific government actions to foster disability-inclusion and fulfillment of the rights of persons with disabilities.

The NHRC urges the government to: expedite the enactment of the Disability Bill, as well as the development of a National Disability Policy, and ensure adequate financial and technical support for their effective implementation; ensure that every child with a disability in every school has access to disability-friendly learning materials, including braille machines, braille cards, audiotape recorders with cassettes and batteries; enhance the capacity of itinerant teachers so that they can meet the educational needs of children with disabilities; take sign language interpretation obligatory for the public television (synchronized television programs) and all public gatherings where speeches or statements would be delivered; provide relief support to persons with disabilities and organisations of persons with disabilities in order to ameliorate the effects of COVID-19 on their lives; put in place measures which would make all public or mainstream services and public buildings accessible to persons with disabilities; build more learning facilities for those children with disabilities whose special conditions and needs will make their integration in mainstream education difficult, especially in the rural Gambia where no such currently facility exists; put in place measures to enhance the economic empowerment of women with disabilities, protect them from all forms of gender-based violence and facilitate the access of girls with disabilities to education; put in place measures which would facilitate and guarantee the participation of persons with disabilities in national development and discourses; advise the Independent Electoral Commission to ensure the electoral voting process is inclusive and accommodates the needs of persons with disabilities; sign and ratify the AU Convention on the Rights of Persons with disabilities in Africa, and domesticate thereafter; [and] popularize and implement the Regional Action Plan on Albinism in Africa adopted by the Executive Council of the AU in July 2019;

Saihou Mballow has responded to comments by Mai Fatty that the cellphone lines of opposition leaders have been tapped allegedly on the direct orders of President Adama Barrow.

The GMC leader made the claims late on Wednesday evening writing on his official Facebook page alongside a picture of the president.

Saihou Mballow who advises the president on youth matters stated: “That’s not correct. As politicians, let us be honest. Let us not bring back what was happening in the past. For one to sit and come up with false and misleading information. The reason why people were doing that is because we had a dictatorship. We thought that was the only way we can eradicate dictatorship. Because he (Jammeh) was killing people, so we also adopted a strategy by tarnishing his image so that Gambians can disown him.

“What significance, what popularity does the GMC have for the president to go after them and tap them? As it is now, I don’t think Mai Fatty can conduct a successful meeting in this country. He can’t. He doesn’t have that following. People are defecting from his party coming to NPP. So what would warrant the president to go after GMC? It’s not a popular party. The party is almost next to nothing in this country.”

The ICC Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda called for an investigation into the deadly attack in northeast Nigeria which left dozens of civilians dead.

More than 100 people were killed, and several others were injured during an attack last week on farmworkers near the capital of Borno state, Maiduguri, according to the UN humanitarian coordinator in Nigeria.

Bensouda said in a statement that she was “gravely concerned” about the killings and abduction of several women by the armed militants.

“My Office has examined similar crimes in north-eastern Nigeria allegedly committed by Boko Haram as well as alleged crimes committed by Nigerian security forces during counter-insurgency operations,” Bensouda said in a statement.

“This recent incident and all crimes falling within ICC jurisdiction must be properly investigated and the perpetrators held accountable by the competent Nigerian authorities through genuine national proceedings.”

Bensouda hinted that her office could act if local authorities failed to take up the matter as she noted that Nigeria was a State party to the Rome Statute.

“That failing, my Office is required by the Statute to act,” she added.

The killings caused public outrage with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari condemning them and describing them as “insane”.

Buhari said the government had given all the needed support to the armed forces “to take all necessary steps to protect the country’s population and its territory.”

Nigeria has been battling an insurgency by Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in the north and northeast for over a decade.

In 2016, the group split into two groups — the main faction led by Abubakar Shekau and the IS-affiliated Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). Both groups have been blamed for increasing attacks on civilians they accuse of spying for the army and pro-government militia.

The conflict has killed at least 36,000 people and left millions of others displaced in the northeast and the general Lake Chad Basin. (CGTN Africa)

Mai Fatty made a huge claim Wednesday evening that the cellphone lines of all opposition leaders and key stakeholders have been tapped ‘allegedly’ on the direct orders of President Adama Barrow.

The GMC leader wrote on his official Facebook page alongside the president’s photo: “The cellphone lines of all opposition leaders and key stakeholders have been tapped allegedly on the direct orders of President Adama Barrow.

“Additional surveillance of offices and residences are also alleged to be on the menu, including implanting pseudo supporters within opposition Parties’ supporters who would even insult Barrow on social media, to gain the trust of the opposition community.

“Be wary of fanatics among our ranks. This is beyond national security; this is plain paranoia by the administration. Dictatorship is back under a a different colour, and at a horse’s galloping speed.

“Be on notice that just like Jammeh’s reign, Barrow too shall exit power, and Gambians would seek you all out on a day when you would not be able to protect yourselves. Your safety tomorrow depends on the games you play today.”

The Gambia OIC Secretariat on Wednesday congratulated Ambassador Hussein Ibrahim Taha of Chad on his election as the new Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Ambassador Taha was elected at the just concluded 47th Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in Niamey, Niger for a five-year term starting from 17th November 2021, OIC Gambia said in a statement signed by brand and communication manager Nfally Fadera.

Reacting to the appointment, Chief Executive Officer Yankuba Dibba said, according to the secretariat’s statement: ‘’OICGambia, and the government of The Gambia by extension welcomes the appointment of Ambassador Ibrahim Taha of Chad, who has an enviable track record of diplomatic service spanning several years, as the Secretary-General of the Islamic Ummah.’’

“This is a big feat for Africa. We are hopeful and confident that he will lead the Ummah in fostering unity, solidarity, and progress as well as provide the desired leadership in confronting the challenges of our time’’, Mr. Dibba said, according to OIC Gambia’s statement.

The CEO also expresses gratitude to the outgoing Secretary-General, Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, for his distinguished service as head of the Ummah and for being a great advocate and patron of the Africa Group, and The Gambia in particular, the statement said.

Ambassador Ibrahim Taha is a former Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Republic of Chad.

UNICEF has asked The Gambia to adopt its six-point plan to protect children, as the country prepares to take part in a special UN meeting on COVID-19.

UN member states will between December 3 and December 4 participate in a special session on COVID-19 .

UNICEF on Wednesday insisted The Gambia is one of the dozens of countries around the world where the pandemic has ‘upended’ the essential services that secure the health, education and protection of children and young people.

“Governments around the world have mobilized billions of dollars to save their economies, but this simply isn’t reaching children. Without urgent action, COVID-19 will decimate future generations,” UNICEF said in a statement.

The agency added: “UNICEF and partners have set out a ‘Six Point Plan to Protect Our Children’, arguing that if governments adopt this plan at the UN Special Session on COVID-19, there still is hope to reverse this crisis and build a ‘better future for us all’. However, this will require for Member States to act fast and smart to save the future of our children.

“As The Gambia prepares to make a statement at the UN Special Session on COVID-19, UNICEF is encouraged by the government’s commitment to put the interest of children on the agenda. It is a common misconception that children are spared the worst of COVID-19. In fact, UNICEF warns that children are amongst the hardest hit by the pandemic. Figures show that poverty is rising, and inequality is growing as a result of the pandemic. Children are worried about their future.

“To respond, UNICEF is calling on governments to adopt the following ‘Six Point Plan to Protect our Children’: Ensure all children learn, including by closing the digital divide; guarantee access to health and nutrition services and make vaccines affordable and available to every child; support and protect the mental health of children and young people and bring an end to abuse, gender-based violence, and neglect in childhood; increase access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene and address environmental degradation and climate change; reverse the rise in child poverty and ensure an inclusive recovery for all; [and] redouble efforts to protect and support children and their families living through conflict, disaster and displacement.

“The UN Special Session on COVID-19 is a critical ‘window of opportunity’, but only if governments make specific commitments to safeguard the health and wellbeing of children and young people. UNICEF remains optimistic that when the names of the countries that support the adoption of the ‘Six Point Plan to Protect Our Children’ are read, The Gambia’s name will be heard.”

Ecowas through its commission has said it unleashed its troops to The Gambia to help the country in terms of maintaining peace and bringing stability.

Heavily armed Ecowas troops led by a Senegalese army general entered The Gambia in 2017 forcing former President Yahya Jammeh to flee into exile – and effectively ending a month-long post-election impasse.

“The objective was to help the country in terms of maintaining peace, bringing stability and also helping the security reform by training, by bringing support to the forces of The Gambia, the Gambian military forces,” Ecowas commission president Jean Claude Kassi Brou said on Tuesday during a engagement with reporters at State House.

The Ecowas commission boss who was on an official visit to The Gambia said he has been told his forces have done a good job in the country.

“We are please to hear from the authority that they are pleased with ECOMIG, that ECOMIG has done a very good work,” Kassi Brou said.

State House has announced President Adama Barrow will travel to the Federal Republic of Nigeria on an official visit.

“The President will depart Banjul International Airport tomorrow, Thursday, 3rd December 2020 at 9:00 A.M,” State House said in a short statement on Wednesday.

By Lamin Njie

The judge in the trial of Bubacarr Keita accused of raping a minor could be left to decide whether the divorce of a witness could be discussed after state attorneys enjoined the court against it.

Alasan Jobe quickly tackled Bubacarr Keita’s lawyer Lamin S Camara after the latter brought the divorce of Keita’s ex-wife into the mix at the return of the trial on Wednesday at the high court in Bundung.

“Objection,” the state attorney quickly dissented when Camara asked the witness if the first thing that happened on Nov. 6 2019 in the house was her being granted a divorce and then her later reporting the matter of Keita ‘falling on’ her sister to the police for the very first time.

The witness who is Keita’s ex-wife had earlier said she could not remember what really happened in the house she was living in on November 6, 2019. She then later testified it was the day she lodged a complaint at the police for the first time. This was after this piece of event was preempted to her by the defence lawyer Lamin Camara.

On the issue of her divorce, the state attorney asked the court not to allow that ‘question’ or anything regarding ‘her divorce or alleged divorce’.

“My Lord, that question as to whether she was divorced or not is irrelevant. And the issue of her divorce is not before this Honourable Court and it is not something that she ever mentioned in her examination in chief,” the state attorney Alasan Jobe insisted.

He insisted more: “It’s therefore not in issue and cross-examination should be confiend to the witness’s testimony-in-chief. We therefore urge this Honourable court pursuant to Section 3 of the Evidence Act and the above quoted authority from the author not to allow that question and anything regarding her divorce or alleged divorce.”

The state counsel had initially referred the court to page 221 of ‘Law of Evidence’ book written by the current chief justice Hassan B Jallow, where the legal mind argued that a witness is obliged to be questioned by the ‘opposite party’ at the conclusion of her examination-in-chief to challenge and test the veracity of the witness’s assertions, whether of fact or admissible opinion.

“He further stated that relevant is still the test of the validity of the question,” the state counsel had also stated.

The defence lawyer Lamin Camara when asked by the judge to respond to the state counsel’s argument said his objection was ‘totally’ misconceived.

“My Lord, I am convinced that the objection of my learned friend is totally misconceived,” Camara said. He is expected to elaborate when the case resumes on Thursday.

When the trial resumed on Wednesday, the defence lawyer began questioning the witness by first showing her a statement she wrote when she first reported the matter to the police.

“Did you write everything you said to the court in that statement?” Camara asked the witness.

In replying, the witness said: “No, it’s not everything. Because when I went to the police station, they asked me why I went there and I explained it to them.

“Are you telling this court that what you told the court in your evidence-in-chief in connection with this case is not why you went to the police station?” Camara said in a follow-up question.

The witness responded that the issue of Keita ‘falling on’ her sister was what took her to the police station ‘and they asked me and I explained to them what happened on that day’.

“So why did you not tell them what happened?” a curious Lamin Camara asked.

“When I came to the court, I realised it’s a platform where you can say all that you want to say. That’s why I said what I wanted to say,” the witness said.

The witness then said what the police asked her was what she told them ‘at that time’ when the defence lawyer asked her if she didn’t believe the police station availed her the platform to tell them everything she wanted to say in connection with the matter.

“Because that was how they asked me. If they had asked me the way you (court) have asked me, I would have explained everything to them,” the witness said.

“Everything you said in your evidence-in-chief on the pregnancy of the complainant is what you were told either by her, your mother or a third party?” the defence lawyer probed.

The witness replied: “That’s how I came to know it because I was not there when they were falling on her.”

Questioning the witness further, Camara told the witness she had said in her testimony her sister had collapsed twice in school and if at all that was true.

“Yes,” the witness said and then said this happened when the complainant was living in the same house as herself and her ex-husband when the lawyer enquired about where she lived at that time.

The witness said she did not investigate the cause of her sister’s collapse in school when the defence lawyer asked her whether she medically investigate the cause of the collapse ‘as an experienced mother’.

“I did not investigate it because a lot of kids were collapsing in the school at that time,” the witness said.

“And for 21 weeks in your own words and in your statement, you did not notice that the complainant was pregnant whilst under your roof allegedly. Is that what you’re telling the court?” Camara then asked.

“I did not know, I did not suspect it and I did not pay attention to it,” the witness replied.

Wednesday’s session also saw the state’s lawyer express concern over her witness being constantly reminded of her swearing to speak just the truth.

“My Lord, we’re a bit concerned here because from last sitting also, the court reminded the witness again that she was under oath. She’s not a child, she’s an adult. She has already sworn to tell the truth before this Honourable Court. She has already answered the questioned. With all due respect, I don’t understand the fact that she’s being reminded again because she has already sworn,” Alasan Jobe complained when the judge told the witness she was under oath and should ‘please’ answer the questioned posed to her if she knew them. The judge said it was contingent the court reminded the witness of her oath to speak just the truth.

Gambia Ports Authority Managing Director Ousman Jobarteh has addressed calls for him to be handed the sack over the Kanilai ferry incident telling The Fatu Network: ‘we’re alive to our responsibility’.

“We’re alive to our responsibility and we try to do our utmost to be of service to our public,” Mr Jobarteh told The Fatu Network in an exclusively interview.

The Kanilai ferry late on Monday evening ran into trouble shortly after leaving Barra sparking huge panic among passengers. The ferry apparently developed technical issues.

“It happened that around 9:40pm, Kanilai loaded from Barra bound for Banjul and during the the voyage she developed technical problem, one of the engines that controls steering and the propulsion system, there was a shutdown in that system and the ferry could not steer on her own,” Mr Jobarteh said.

At least 150 people were onboard the ferry, some of whom have demanded the sacking of the Ports officials.

The authority’s MD however said the appointing authorities are aware of the problems his institution is facing.

“Well certainly we can only make known our challenges and the contraints that we’re facing as an organisation. But the appointing authorities are also being adequately briefed because we have a risk assessment policy which would identify all the challenges we face as an institution.

“Because trade is booming but the facility is not growing commensurately and some of the spare parts and the equipment we need are not within our direct control,” Mr Jobarteh said.