By Lamin Njie

At least 18 soldiers most of whom were previously working as police officers have left the army and have returned to the police.

Ninety-five soldiers culled from the police and other security outfits under the ministry of interior have been counting their days in the army after the ministry put in a request for them to return to their original units.

During Jammeh’s rule, dozens of men and women from the police were moved to the army. Six people were tapped from the Gambia Immigration Department while two and one were tapped from the Gambia Fire and Rescue Service and Drug Law Enforcement Agency respectively.

There are reports the army has asked those who did not wield any significant rank to leave and keeping those with officer ranks but army spokesman Major Lamin Sanyang dismissed those reports today telling The Fatu Network there was ‘no such thing’ as asking some to leave and asking some to stay.

He said: “We had a meeting with them and the issue was voluntary. Those who wanted to go back had the choice to go back.

“It was very transparent, we told them this is not from us it was from the government. So those that wanted to go it was their choice to go back. Those that opted to stay it was there choice to stay. It was at there own volition.”

Unique Solutions & Unique Energy under the Unique Group of Companies announced the receipt of a co-funding grant award of $282,902.00 from the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency-ECREEE. Unique Solutions & Unique Energy as part of its contractual and funding obligations, have committed the sum of $316,961.56 towards the project. This D30.6 million project will provide electricity to homes and businesses in the SaraPateh Jamwelly area of the Western Region of the Gambia and its surrounding areas in the initial phase.

ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, ECREEE, awarded Unique Group the staggering sum during its third annual ECOWAS Sustainable Energy Forum held in October in Accra, Ghana.

A statement by Unique Group said: “The three-day forum held in Accra, Ghana on the 22nd to the 24th October 2019, concluded with an award ceremony for the Third ECOWAS Renewable Energy Facility (EREF 3), funded by USAID. Winners of the highly competitive funding included seven countries, Nigeria, Togo, Cabo Verde, Mali, The Gambia, Ghana and Sierra Leone. This is the first ever award to the Gambia.

“This grant funding will usher in the Gambia’s first Solar Green Mini Grid Electrification project. Unique Solutions & Unique Energy as part of its contractual and funding obligations, have committed the sum of $316,961.56 towards the project. This D30.6 million project will provide electricity to homes and businesses in the SaraPateh Jamwelly area of the Western Division of the Gambia and its surrounding areas in the initial phase.”

The chief executive officer of Unique Group of Companies Papa Yusupha Njie said of the project: “As we prepare to celebrate our 20th Anniversary of being in business, my vision is to see more Gambian owned companies play a greater role in the key economic areas of this country and our work in the energy sector over the past few years is a clear testament of what is possible. The focus is to make sure that we play a part in Gambians having access to affordable, reliable and clean energy wherever they may be in this country.

“Working with the Ministry of Energy, the Regulators, NAWEC and other stakeholders, we hope The Gambia’s first Green Minigrid project will open doors for many more opportunities including much needed jobs for our young people and also impacting thousands of ordinary Gambians in taking advantage of clean renewable energy sources.”

Mr. Njie concluded by thanking the honourable Minister of Energy and his entire team at the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, USAID and the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency – ECREE, for trusting his companies with this opportunity and enabling them to change lives in The Gambia and powering the energy of the future in more ways than one.

For Further information:
Please visit www.uniqueenergygm.com
Email: [email protected]

By Momodou Justice Darboe

The Senegalese navy and Spanish coast guard last week seized 750kg of cocaine contrary to earlier report of a seizure of little over two tons of the drugs.

Sources told The Fatu Network that the quantity of cocaine confiscated by the navies of Senegal and Spain was 750kg and was reportedly seized in high seas.

Coordinated by the Lisbon-based Maritime Analysis Operations Centre, the Drug Law Enforcement of The Gambia also participated in the operations that led to the huge cocaine catch by conducting surveillance on the boat which was reportedly docked at Lamin Lodge in Western Region of The Gambia for several days.

”The boat later left to meet with a mother boat on high seas and a trans-shipment took place.

”Following the seizure of a boat believed to be the mother boat that transfer the drugs into the other boat,” our source stated.

”Currently, the captain and one crew member are helping in the investigation. A Dutch national believed to be the organiser of the consignment was in The Gambia earlier for few days and left,” sources added.

The TRRC Tuesday pushed back at a move that seeks to have one of its top officials arrested.

Yankuba Touray’s trial resumed Monday at the high court in Banjul but the case took a dramatic twist when the former AFPRC junta stalwart’s lawyer Abdoulie Sissoho called for the arrest of TRRC’s Dr Baba Galleh Jallow.

Abdoulie Sissoho made a request for the court to issue a bench warrant against Dr Jallow for failing to show up in court. The trial judge Ebrima Jaiteh is now expected to rule on the application.

The TRRC reacted to the move on Tuesday saying in a statement it in fact sent a representative who was present in court during the hearing.

The statement said further: “It is sufficient in this particular instance that an authorized official of the TRRC was present in Court in pursuance of the Summons to Produce Documents. The Court was also notified of this fact by the Prosecutor in charge of the case.

“As such, the TRRC is of the view that the application of the Defence for a Bench Warrant against Dr Jallow was unnecessary. In any case, Section 25 of the TRRC Act 2017, grants immunity to the Executive Secretary and other staff of the Commission from civil and criminal proceedings for any act or omission done in the official performance of their functions. In this context, a Bench Warrant against the Executive Secretary or any other staff of the TRRC would be unlawful.

“The TRRC wishes to inform the general public that it will always comply with all lawful orders of the Courts addressed to it, including orders to produce any documents that it may be lawfully requested to produce. In this case, the documents that the Executive Secretary of the TRRC was requested to produce before the court were not produced by the representative of the Commission because of the arguments between the parties which are yet to be ruled upon and also the absence of an order by the judge for that person to take the witness stand and submit the documents to the Court.

“The TRRC wishes to further inform the general public that all the available materials requested by the Defence to be produced during the hearing were in fact already provided to Mr Yankuba Touray as required by the TRRC Provisional Rules of Procedure. As such, the submission of the same set of documents to the Court as requested by the Defence of Mr. Yankuba Touray would have just amounted to a duplication of the process. Nonetheless, the TRRC was represented in Court by an official of the Commission who possessed the relevant documents and was available to produce them to the Court if asked to do so.

“Finally, the TRRC assures all concerned that it will always endeavour to comply with the law.”

By Adama Makasuba

More than 6000 pupils kin Old Yundum Lower and Upper Basic Schools and their teachers have abandoned lessons due to bad smell coming from a near-by dumpsite.

The two schools which have a combined student population of over 6000 have been temporarily closed amid complaint from school authorities regarding the bad odour and smoke coming from the dumpsite.

Principal of Old Yundum Lower Basic School Famara Sanneh told The Fatu Network the education regional office needs to intervene in fixing the problem immediately.

“…this temporal closure would have another negative impact on the school curricular syllabus because we 880 contact hours in the school syllabus,” Sanneh said.

The negative impact the dumpsite is having on the school is apparent, even lay people in the street know can definitely justify that this dumpsite is causing serious negative impact on the school health, he added.

Mr Sanneh noted they wouldn’t resume classes until the dumpsite around the schools is addressed adding ‘our strategy is when the dumpsite is taken off completely here, we go to school but when it’s not taken off, we don’t come to school.’

He said despite the no reaction from the regional education office after a promise to addressing the matter ‘we gave them time coming to school since last week.’

According to him, the two-schools’ authorities were promised by the village development committee ‘that they have provided containers for the market vendors where they would put their waste materials, and they would come clear here completely.’

The Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission is currently wrapping up its ninth session which focussed on Sexual and Gender Based Violence and gearing up to the tenth session of hearings, the investigation said today.

The commission is steeped in a tedious investigation into the human rights violations and abuses that occurred during the 22 years rule of former president Yahya Jammeh.

According to the probe on Tuesday, the upcoming tenth session will focus on the former president Jammeh’s witch-hunting exercise in 2009 which primarily targeted particular communities in The Gambia.

A statement by the probe said: “The TRRC intends for the first time, to conduct these hearings outside its Dunes Headquarters. Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission Act 2017 under Section 16(1) grants the Chairperson of the Commission the Authority to determine at what times and where the Commission shall sit to conduct its hearings.

“Section 15(1)(c) of the Act also empowers the commission to gather information not only through individual hearings but to also conduct group hearings in pursuit of its truth seeking mandate.

“As such, the Commission will hold hearings in identified communities in the Gambia. These hearings may include both individual and group hearings from members of the affected communities.

“The identified locations for the planned community hearings are Jambur, Sibanor and Essau. Hearings on the witch hunt exercise will begin on the 11th to 14th November at Dunes Resort, 18th to 21st November at Jambur, 25th to 28th November at Sibanor and 2nd to 5th December at Essau.”

By Momodou Justice Darboe

A captain and a crew member of a Dutch boat are being currently interrogated by the Drug Law Enforcement Agency(DLEAG) on suspicion of forming part of five people arrested in Senegal over seizure of large quantities of cocaine in Spain and Senegal.

Last week, 1.2 ton of cocaine as well as 1 ton of the drugs were seized in Spain and Senegal respectively and this was as a result of the intelligence that the DLEAG shared with their counterpart, DEA, in the global fight against cross-border drugs trafficking, a drug law enforcement official told The Fatu Network Monday.

Coordinated by Maritime Analysis Operation Centre in Lisbon, the operations led to the impounding of a boat belonging to a Dutch national and the craft is currently kept at the Naval Command in Banjul, the official added.

The owner of the boat, believed to be the organizer of the large consignment of drugs, was said to be in The Gambia three weeks ago.

No cocaine was reportedly found in the boat after it was searched by DLEAG and the Navy but the captain and a crew member are currently questioned by DLEAG.

By Momodou Justice Darboe

After almost three months of tedious and meticulous investigations into one of the largest cocaine catches in the country, the Gambia Drug Law Enforcement Agency(DLEAG) is expected to present its findings to the ministry justice for consideration, so says the head of the agency’s intelligence unit.

It has been three months since the agents of the drugs enforcement agency discovered 48 blocks of cocaine in a shipping container and since then there were mounting public outcry over the manner the case has been handled with allegations of underhand tactics directed at the police.

But according to Mr. Lamin J. Gassama, DLEAG Director of Intelligence and International Cooperation, the case of the 48 blocks of cocaine under public scrutiny is not like lesser crimes of burglary and mobile theft.

“My work is not determined by unfounded and ill-fated public perception. This is a trans-national crime which requires both time and resources to investigate,’’ he explained.

He said considering the intricate nature of the routes and other elements involved in shipping the cocaine to The Gambia, it was only ideal for his agency to invest more time and resources in the investigations to ensure a successful prosecution and to obtain conviction.

Further explaining why it took DLEAG to expeditiously investigate the cocaine case, the agency’s intelligence boss said investigating internationally organised crimes is based on mainly country priority, diplomacy and cost benefits.

“Forty-eight blocks of cocaine may be big in The Gambia but it may be small to Brazil for example if they intercept tons of cocaine. The countries also look at the cost benefits. Will the resources to be invested in the investigations yield the benefits,’’ he stated.

“In this case [cocaine], I contacted Brazil. I presented this case in more than five international conferences to show that we have nothing to hide. I am now writing my report based on the evidence available and will present it to the minister [of justice] for legal review and advice,’’ Mr Gassama said.

A Gambian and a Lebanese were arrested by police in July after a 20-foot container containing large quantities of cocaine was seized in Banjul.

Mahdi Tajudinn and Ossama Mahmood were placed under custody after labourers who were helping offload a container containing sugar.

The sugar was ordered from Toyoto Tsusho Sugar Trading company based in the UK by a Mauritanian businessman Sidi Ahmed – and while offloading the item at his shop at Picton Street in Banjul, the labourers discovered two loose bags containing 20 blocks and 6 blocks of what was suspected to be cocaine respectively.

Judge in the murder trial of Yankuba Touray Ebrima Jaiteh is expected to deliver a ruling on a request that seeks to have the executive secretary of TRRC Dr Baba Galleh Jallow arrested.

Mr Touray’s trial resumed today at the high court in Banjul with his lawyer Abdoulie Sissoho applying for a bench warrant against Dr Baba Galleh Jallow.

Sissoho while questioning a high profile witness in Mr Touray’s trial asked for the statement of the witness to be interposed noting that he requested a statement earlier made by the witness at the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission.

The statement Lawyer Sissoho added should be produced by the Executive Secretary of the TRRC noting that it would enable him cross-examine the witness before he proceeds with his cross-examination.

Counsel Sissoho informed the court that the executive secretary of the TRRC, Dr Baba Galleh Jallow was earlier subpoenaed in accordance to section 221 of the Evidence Act to provide the court with the statement of the witness which he never did and further failed to advance reasons for his actions.

At this juncture, Counsel Sissoho applied for a bench warrant, urging the court to issue an arrest warrant against Dr Jallow to appear before the court and explain why he should not be charged with contempt of court.

“Subpoena is a command by the law and failure to respond, the court has duty to act,” Barrister Sissoho noted.

Responding to the defence application, the state counsel, AM Yusuf submitted that this is a criminal trial and that the section cited by the defence is not applicable in this matter.

In order to back his argument, the state counsel, AM Yusuf also cited Sections 233 to 237 of the Evidence Act arguing that the said sections highlight the procedures to be followed by the court in a conduct of case for prosecution.

The senior state counsel argued that for a witness to only come and testify all what he knows and produce a document cannot stand while asking for a cost from the defence.
Meanwhile the witness, Ensa Mendy confirmed making statements at the Truth Commission in April as well as on 2nd and 5th July 2019 with regards to the case.

The case was at that point adjourned to 11 November when the trial judge is expected to deliver his ruling on the application made by the defence and continuation of cross-examination.

Mr Touray who today looked strong and determined since his arrest and detention in June is alleged to have participated in the murder of Ousman “Koro” Ceesay, the former finance minister of the former AFPRC junta regime. Touray however failed to take his plea when he appeared before the court citing constitutional immunity and since then he is being detained at the state central prison in Mile 2.

By Adama Makasuba

Rawdatul Majalis Sunday ripped into the President of Supreme Islamic Council Momodou Lamin Touray claiming the top cleric was heading the country’s apex Islamic body ‘illegally’.

Rawdatul Majalis, a group established in 2017 to bring all Islamic sects in the country together, is soaked in a bitter leadership row with the current leaders of Supreme Islamic Council helmed by Gunjur-born Saudi-trained imam Momodou Lamin Touray.

Rawdatul Majalis claims the term of the current leadership of SIC has expired a long time ago and after its demands for a congress be called to elect a new leadership fell on deaf ears, the group’s leaders took matters into their own hands by naming Sheriff Muhammed Sanunsi Nano Hydara as the new President of Supreme Islamic Council.

At a news conference today in Abuko, the group vowed not to engage their opponents into lawless actions as it once again declared Mr Hydara as the new president of SIC.

The group’s officials also rejected the idea of The Gambia fasting and praying on the same day as Saudi Arabia, arguing The Gambia is not in the same region and timing with Saudi Arabia.

Abubacarr Jabbi, the group’s spokesman said Momodou Lamin Touray’s tenure expired since 2008 but he continued to lead SIC illegally.

According to him, they wrote series of letters to Touray’s executive but ‘what they replied us was ‘who are you’ which surprised us a lot but with all that we wrote to them again explaining ourselves to them and still they didn’t reply us’.

He denounced the leadership of Muhammed Lamin Touray from 2008 to 2018 because ‘his tenure expired since 2008 and he continued to lead the organisation illegally without calling for a congress.’

Mr Jabbi added: “We know what had happened in this country. We have seen Imams arrested including Imam Baba Leigh and Imam Ba Kawsu Fofa and many others without a reason for their arrests.”

The first vice president Rawdatul Majalis Cadi Abdoulaye Kanteh called on the elders of the country to advised the youth to desist from violence and ‘know Rawdatul Majalis is neither a divisive organisation nor ideological or discriminatory organisation.’

By CRC media unit

The Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) today announced that it is on track to deliver a draft Constitution.

“Consistent with its terms of reference, the CRC is well poised to deliver to Gambians at home and abroad a draft Constitution that will engender public debate and comments before finalisation”, said the Chairperson of the CRC, Justice Cherno Sulayman Jallow, QC.

He intimated that significant strides have been made in collating and analyzing the public opinions received during the CRC’s consultation processes.

The public opinions were gathered through different processes to ensure that a broad spectrum of Gambians were reached in order to ensure a fair balance to guide the CRC in making informed decisions during the drafting process.

These processes were the face-to-face dialogue with Gambians at home, face-to-face dialogue with Gambians living abroad, focused group discussions, dialogue with select Senior Secondary Schools, conduct of household surveys using specified enumeration areas, administration of online survey questionnaires, dialogue with stakeholders (both public and private), the CRC Issues Document and responses thereto, independent submissions to the CRC, and contributions made through social and the print media.

Justice Jallow indicated that the public consultation process has been a very challenging but fruitful one and he and his colleague Commissioners have learnt a lot in terms of the views and aspirations of Gambians and other stakeholders.

The CRC also wishes to assure the public that a lot of work has been going on behind the scene to ensure that The Gambia is counted among countries that have progressive Constitutions.

Therefore, the CRC wishes to assure the public that it is doing its best to keep to its mandate and to deliver a draft Constitution for public consultation within the next few weeks.

It is the CRC’s expectation to publish the draft Constitution online and to make available a limited number of hard copies, and to thereafter embark on another round of face-to-face consultations with Gambians across the country to ensure that there is a good review process through active participation.

The date and venues for the next round of consultations will be duly communicated to the public. The period for public consultations will be one month from the date of publication of the draft Constitution; the face-to-face dialogue within the country is envisaged to be for a two-week period.

This will enable the CRC to complete its assignment as mandated under the
Constitutional Review Commission Act, 2017.

The CRC is cognizant of the high expectations of Gambians concerning the drafting of this new national document of monumental importance. While the draft Constitution is not expected to touch upon or address every public opinion that has been canvassed, the CRC hopes that by publishing the draft Constitution the general public will have a good opportunity to review the draft and make constructive contributions in its finalisation.

Therefore, the CRC remains committed to its mandate and will continue to ensure that the constitutional review process continues to be guided by the principles of Transparency, Participation Inclusiveness, Representation, and National Ownership.

The five technical committees established to assist the CRC with expert inputs have all submitted their reports to the Commission. International consultants with good track records in the review and drafting of Constitutions in Africa, were also received recently by the CRC as part of its strategy to consult widely and harness best practices within and outside of The Gambia, in order to deliver a document that reflects international best practices consistent with the values and aspirations of Gambians. The Consultants will continue their assignments until such time as is necessary leading to the preparation of the final draft Constitution.

Work continues in earnest at the CRC Secretariat to assist the Commission in achieving its ultimate objective of drafting a sound Constitution which reflects the collective values, beliefs and aspirations of all Gambians, and a report in relation to the process of drafting the Constitution.

The CRC wishes to use this opportunity to thank and congratulate fellow Gambians and other stakeholders for their enthusiasm, support and positive contributions, and also to encourage them to continue to support the Commission as it journeys to the conclusion of its assignment.

The Commission remains committed to its mandate and is therefore determined to deliver a draft Constitution that will reflect, as far as possible, the wishes and aspirations of the Gambian people, which take into account and embody, to the extent considered feasible, international best practices.

By Lamin Njie

Edward Singhatey has been awarded a Master of Laws in International Maritime Law from World Maritime University.

Singhatey was a long-distance student at World Maritime University in Malmo, Sweden – and The Fatu Network has gathered the former AFPRC junta stalwart participated in a graduation event today in Malmo where he was awarded a master’s degree.

It comes barely two weeks after he returned to The Gambia from Abuja, Nigeria to testify before the TRRC.

Singhatey first appeared before the probe on October 16 as part of a broad investigation into the human rights violations and abuses that took place during former President Yahya Jammeh’s 22 years rule.

He was the former vice chairman of the AFPRC junta and has been implicated in the November 11, 1994 execution of eleven soldiers who were accused of trying to overthrow Jammeh’s government. He is also accused of spearheading the brutal murder of former finance minister Ousman Koro Ceesay.

During his appearance which spanned three days, Singhatey accepted culpability in the November 11 savagery but denied taking part in Koro Ceesay’s murder.

By Lamin Njie

President Adama Brrow has said he was ready to wield the axe on anyone who fails to abide by the rules of his bus.

Mr Barrow met with members of Tabital Pullagu at State House on Saturday insisting he was the bus driver.

“I am the bus driver. My bus has rules and anyone who does not abide by the rules will get down. Some have already been removed from the bus,” Mr Barrow who has now become notorious in likening his government to a moving bus said at the meeting.

The meeting comes amid claims the top brass of the pro-Fula group is spearheading a campaign that could see all Gambian Fulas rally round President Barrow at the next presidential elections.

Last Saturday, some members of Tabital Pullaagu convened a press conference in Bakau where they claimed their president, Seedy Dem, was mobilising 3000 Fulas for a showdown with President Barrow at State House.

But a spokesman of the organisation has pooh-poohed those claims telling The Fatu Network it was only a few people who were against ‘our move to meet with the President of the Republic and they are all from a particular political party.’

Alieu Saja Jallow suggested the ‘few’ people hold positions in opposition Gambia Democratic Congress as “advisers, constituency chairmen, organizers and national assembly members.”

By Lamin Njie

A disturbing video showing an alleged thief being beaten by a group of people has emerged on social media.

The video which started doing the rounds on Facebook on Friday shows a shirtless man sitting on the ground with his hands and legs tied.

A boy is seen standing by him and slapping him and asking him to look at another participant who appeared to be the one filming the scene.

Seconds later, another man joined in slapping the unidentified man who then threw himself on the ground screaming. Another participant could then be heard saying in Wolof, ‘do you think you can leave Guinea and come here to steal?’

In a separate video, water could be seen being poured on the man.

The Fatu Network could not immediately establish when and where the 49-second and 6-second videos were taken.

Watch the videos below.

A woman severed a man’s penis by biting into it after he allegedly held her up with a knife and began sexually assaulting her.

She then ran from the attacker’s home and went knocking on neighbour’s doors for help while naked and covered in his blood, a police report showed.

Metro reports that Dennis Slaton, 61, a registered sex offender, was charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct and kidnapping a month after the incident in Greenville, South Carolina, in August.

He had to be treated for his severe injury which he described as ‘pretty tragic’.

Slaton, whose 40-year criminal history includes convictions for sodomy, voyeurism and attempted rape, denies he sexually assaulted the woman.

According to an incident report from the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, obtained by Greenville News, the alleged victim told police that on 8 August, she was waiting to be picked up by someone she had met online when she saw Slaton’s white van driving outside a motel and motioned for him to pull over.

She claims she got into Slaton’s car but almost immediately felt that something was not right and asked him to drop her off.

The woman offered him five dollars for the ride and he said ‘OK’, the report states.

But Slaton continued to drive and pulled a knife out which he then held to the woman’s throat, yelling that she owed him $300 (around £231), she claims.

The police report states he then drove her to his home where he allegedly sexually assaulted her and threatened to kill her ‘after he was done with her’.

She bit Slaton on his penis as she fought to get away, severing the organ, before grabbing the knife he had allegedly used against her to stab him in the bottom.

The incident report states she fled the scene, naked and covered in blood, and begged neighbours for help before running to a restaurant nearby where staff called the police.
When officers arrived at Slaton’s house they found him soaked in blood, police said.

After undergoing surgery, he told local media: ‘It was pretty bad, pretty tragic, what happened to me.’

Slaton was released from custody after paying $75,000 – around £57,000 – bond.

The case is ongoing. (Metro)

By Adama Makasuba

Twenty-seven new lawyers have been advised to prioritise honesty and professionalism after they were called to the Bar.

The lawyers were inducted at a ceremony held today at the High Court complex in Banjul after four years of intensive studies and a year of lawyer training.

Speaking at the ceremony, Chief Justice Hassan Jallow urged the new lawyers to continue studying and seek assistance from their seniors in the profession, adding ‘your success at the bar will be determined by your continued study.’

As a legal practitioner your primary duty is officer of the court and uphold the administrative principle,” he advised the new lawyers, adding ‘remember you are not the mouthpiece of the clients in contravention of the law.’

Salieu Taal, president of Gambia Bar Association advised the new lawyers to be ‘independent’ and ‘as a lawyer it is our duty individually and collectively to protect the integrity of the constitution.’

“Rule of law and good governance are the primary pillars of development and without rule of law and good governance there cannot be development,’’ Mr Taal said, urging the new lawyers to uphold rule of law and good governance.
You must know that people come to lawyers because they think lawyers know the law, so, if you don’t know the law find your way out, he said.

He urged the new batch of lawyers to offer pro bono services to the less privileged in the society as he called on other lawyers yet to be part of their ‘pro bono association’ to sign in and start offering free help unprivileged people in the community.

Representing the minister of justice, Hussein Thomasi expressed gratitude to the batch of lawyers but warned them ‘of misconduct and ‘there is high price to pay for in misconduct, you could be debarked which could be the end of your career’ and urged them to seek assistance from their seniors at all time in the profession.

By Omar Wally

Fatou Jallow has appeared before the TRRC four months after she shocked the country by claiming former President Yahya Jammeh raped her.

Widely known as Toufah, the 23-year-old former beauty queen publicly testified before the commission on Thursday telling the probe Jammeh rubbed his genitals on her face and then went on to ‘penetrate’ her from behind. The alleged incident allegedly happened at State House in 2015 while Jammeh was president.

During a marathon testimony Thursday, Toufah recalled how the former president showered her with gifts in a bid to endear her to himself.

It all started with her taking part in a beauty contest in 2014 which Jammeh himself was funding. Later, Toufah was asked to work on a project – a project the former leader committed to fund. This then led to a number of meetings between Toufah and the former president.

On the day the former leader allegedly raped her, Toufah was invited to State House for an Islamic gathering that never was for her personally. She was taken to a room where the former president allegedly met her and raped her.

A tearful Toufah told the TRRC: “He [Yahya Jammeh] said, ‘let’s see if you’re a virgin. I swear to God I was scared. I started to apologise to say that, ‘I am sorry, please don’t do this’. Because he appeared very angry.

“He held my face, he pulled his pants down and he rubbed his genitals in my face. He pulled my dress up and he was just saying, ‘thanks’. Yahya Jammeh decided to penetrate me. But before he did, he took out a needle from his pocket, he injected me on my arm. Yahya Jammeh did not want sex with me or pleasure. What he wanted to do was to hurt me.

“He wanted to see and he said, ‘let’s see what is here,’ as he pushed his penis into me. As all of this is happening, I am hearing the Quranic recitation in the background. The gamo was going on.

“He sodomised me and what that means is, he took his penis and he put it into my anus instead of my vagina.”

Jammeh has so far not responded to the allegations.