By Lamin Njie

Over 500 Gambians on Saturday left the country for Saudi Arabia to take part in this year’s hajj exercise.

A total of 1,700 Gambians will join millions of Muslims around the world to perform hajj this year.

Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and any Muslim who is in a good state of health and is financially fit is required to do so. It entails going round the Kaaba (Tawaf) and spending a day at Mount Arafat. The hajj also comes with at least ten other rituals.

The first Gambian flight, a GIA flight, left Saturday carrying 437 people most of them women.

Minister of Lands Musa Drammeh was at the Banjul International Airport to see off the worshippers.

By Lamin Njie

The National Assembly will hold an extraordinary session on Monday to discuss a proposal seeking to end the Banjul Breweries tax saga, it has been revealed.

“What is happening is that they have called for an extraordinary parliament session on Monday. All members are urged to attend. The minister is coming with a motion to review and amend the proposed tax rate,” a senior Banjul Breweries official told The Fatu Network on Saturday.

He added: “What they proposed to us is still high. Although they have not written to us, what we heard they are reviewing it from 75 percent to 35 percent.

“If the parliament is to do good for the Gambian people, they will probably knock it down further but that’s the situation as at now.”

Staff of Banjul Breweries last month took to the street to bring in home on the government their growing fears and apprehension over prospects of losing their jobs.

The staff believe that if the government insists on the 75% hike in tax levied on the company, many of them risk losing their livelihoods.

The Gambia government last year announced a 75% tax rise on wine and beer, with the move affecting sugary drinks too.

A senior official of Banjul Breweries Ltd told The Fatu Network at the time that excise hike from 10% to 75% was found in no country in the whole of Africa.

He also told the outlet the move will have a negative impact on the beverage manufacturing industry and the economy.

By Lamin Njie

The Minister of the Interior Ebrima Mballow has said that Ousman Darboe did not die under police custody.

Darboe died last Tuesday but his death has been linked to torture allegedly meted out to him by police. Mass protests erupted in Serrekunda on Wednesday as soon as news of the 33-year-old businessman’s death emerged.

The police anti-crime unit headquarters in Bijilo was the epicentre of the protests as angry youths clashed with police as they attempted to overrun the ACU compound. The protests continued late Wednesday evening in which police stations were vandalised and the police ACU commander’s house set on fire.

On Friday, the Minister of the Interior Ebrima Mballow spoke on the issue, saying his ministry “deeply regrets” the death of Ousman Darboe.

“Mr Darboe whose death has led to allegations of police brutality followed by angry demonstrations on Wednesday was a known asthma patient who was detained by the Police Anti-Crime Unit and subsequently granted bail. He died a week later at a local health facility and not under police custody,” Mballow in a statement he read on GRTS said.

Mballow added: “However, my ministry takes allegations of torture and police brutality very seriously and have attentively listened to all your grievances, complaints and resentments against our law enforcement agents.

“Therefore, a Committee of independent investigators from all the security sectors has been constituted to thoroughly investigate and determine whether Mr Darboe was tortured as alleged. Should the investigation reveal that he died as a result of torture, those implicated will face the full force of the law.”

By Lamin Njie

The leadership of the United Democratic Party (UDP) Friday said it learnt with ‘great distress and indignation’ the death of Ousman Darboe.

Mass protests erupted in Serrekunda Wednesday afternoon following the death of the 33-year-old businessman. Darboe is believed to have died as a result of torture allegedly meted out to him by the police – and a procession of mainly angry youths congregated at the Serekunda police station and Police Anti-Crime Unit in Bijilo respectively to protest his death.

On Friday, UDP issued a statement on the issue calling on the Minister of Interior to ensure that a speedy investigation into events surrounding the death of Mr. Darboe is conducted.

“Findings of this investigation should be made public. Should, as the Serrekunda youth claim, the cause of death be related to his arrest, the UDP expects those found wanting to be brought to justice,” the statement signed by the party’s spokesman Almami Taal said.

According to UDP, Mr. Darboe’s death “led to violent protests, looting and an arson attack on offices of the anti-crime unit and the home of its Unit head, Mr. Mboob.”

“The UDP condemns such violent acts. The Party also commiserates with Mr. Mboob and all other victims of such violence.

“As a law abiding Party founded on the principles of the promotion of peace, the UDP recognizes the basic Constitutional rights of Gambians to Freedom of Assembly and Freedom of Expression. However, the UDP encourages Gambians, particularly youths who wish to assemble and to protest to respect the Constitution, the laws of The Gambia and to demonstrate respect for the authorities.

“The UDP condemns the excessive use of force and calls on the Inspector General of Police, the Minister of Interior and the National Security Council to ensure that the Police Intervention Unit and Crowd Control teams undergo the necessary skills training to control public gatherings and to ensure order with minimal violence.”

Meanwhile UDP said it is also condemning what it calls the “violence with which the Police dealt with peaceful protesters of the Occupy BAC, which also unfortunately led to violent scenes in Brikama on Wednesday 24 July.”

“The UDP acknowledges that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) has the discretion to issue permits. However. UDP encourages the IGP to work towards concrete efforts to widen the space for assembly and for expression as spelt out in the 1997 Constitution of the Republic of The Gambia. Further, the IGP where he cannot issue permits should specify to the requestors why, at that specified period and location, Gambians who wish to express themselves cannot be allowed to do so,” the party said.

According to UDP, Wednesday’s protests “is not and cannot only be interpreted to be related to the death of Ousman Darboe and Occupy BAC.”

“Rather, it is our view that these actions are linked to the general frustrations of the youth on a host of issues including but not limited to Police violence,” the party said.

“Gambian youths are disillusioned that after having endured and dislodged a 22 year dictatorship, very little has changed in terms of democratic norms. Corruption and cronyism continue to affect service delivery across the board; unemployment is still high while the environment adversely affects job creation initiatives.

“The UDP calls on the Government of The Gambia to not only create the enabling environment for Gambians to publicly speak out on issues of concern to them but to also act on improving on the situations that lead to those concerns.

“The UDP seizes this opportunity to call on the Party’s youth in particular, Party sympathizers and the Gambian people to desist from any form of violence as a form of expression.

“The Secretary General and the Executive Committee of the UDP thank all Gambians and reiterate our calls for calm, restraint and non-violence.”

By Tijan Masanneh Ceesay, in Atlanta

The All Gambian High Schools Alumni Reunion, an annual gathering of Gambians living in the United States has been held.

The event, the second of its kind, took place last Saturday in Atlanta, Georgia attended by more than 200 people.

Speaking at the event, the president of the All Gambian High Schools Alumni Group in the United States Momodou Ndow called on Gambians in the Diaspora to rise to the occasion and do their part in improving the standard of education in The Gambia.

“We must do our part to elevate the education standard [in The Gambia]” Ndow said.

Ndow lamented the poor standard of education in The Gambia and said the past results of the West African high schools examinations “are deplorable and we must do our part to raise the standards.”

Mr Ndow said in comparison to their time as high school students, the situation today is, “rather sad.”

He said the purpose of bringing the Alumni of four high schools ( St. Augustines/St. Joseph’s, Gambia High, Nusrat and Muslim High Schools) is to play their part to ensure that today’s generation can enjoy the standards of their time.

Mr. Ndow challenged Alumni from other schools residing in the United States to come and be part of the group.

This way, he added, the ‘ALL’ in the name of the group will be realized.

“It saddens us that despite numerous attempts to get other Schools to be part of this project, the efforts have not been made from their end,” Ndow said.

Taking a line from The Gambia national anthem, Mr Ndow concluded that the only way “we can pledge our firm  allegiance to remain  ever true to our motherland is rising up to face the situation which is real and contribute our quota.”

He reminded that the situation was serious and it’s national problem that must be faced head on.

“It is no secret that our education system is a disaster, let’s be each other’s keeper and collectively get the job done, Mbollo moi dolleh (Multitude is Power),” he said.

Another highlight of the event was the Posthumous Eric H Christensen Award presented to the late Justice Solomon Francis Njie in recognition of his contributions to national development both as a Jurist and teacher.

The awarded was received by Mr. Solomon Njie, the latter’s grandson.

In a surprising announcement, Veteran Gambian journalist, football commentator and author, Tijan Masanneh Ceesay was also conferred with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his work and contributions to the reality and achievements of the group.

Mr. Michael Nicol was also honored.

The three day event ended on Sunday with an All Night Old School style farewell party.

Next year’s event will take place in July.

More than 100 migrants were missing after their boat sank off the coast of Libya in what might be the worst tragedy in the Mediterranean this year, aid agencies said Thursday.

“The sinking took place off the coast of the city of Khoms,” some 100 kilometres (60 miles) from Tripoli, said Safa Msehli, spokesperson for the International Organisation of Migration in Libya.

About 145 migrants were rescued by the Libyan coastguard, and survivors had reported that about 150 people remained missing, she said.

General Ayoub Kacem, a spokesman for the Libyan navy, said that “134 migrants were rescued and a body recovered, while 115 other migrants are still missing”.

“A wooden boat carrying around 250 people, including women and children, sank some five nautical miles from the coast, according to witness testimony from the migrants who survived,” Kacem said in a statement.

He said most of the rescued migrants were from Ethiopia and others were Palestinians and Sudanese. The coastguard was waiting for authorities to provide accommodation for them.

The head of the UN refugee agency Filippo Grandi tweeted that it was “the worst Mediterranean tragedy of this year”.

“Restoring rescue at sea, ending refugee + migrant detention in Libya, increasing safe pathways out of Libya must happen NOW, before it is too late for many more desperate people,” he added.

The capsize came only a few weeks after some 68 migrants died when an Italy-bound boat sank off Tunisia.

That boat, filled with mostly African migrants, tipped over shortly after setting out from the Libyan town of Zuwara, west of Tripoli, with the aim of reaching Italy.

Libya, which has been wracked by chaos since the 2011 uprising that killed president Moamer Kadhafi, has long been a major transit route for migrants, especially from sub-Saharan Africa, desperate to reach Europe.

Humanitarian group SOS Mediterranee said Sunday it had relaunched rescue efforts off Libya seven months after abandoning operations as European ports refused to accept the migrants.

The Norwegian-flagged Ocean Viking will “conduct search and rescue activities in the central Mediterranean” for SOS Mediterranee and Doctors Without Borders (known by its French initials MSF), the group said in a statement.

It said the exodus from Libya was “one of the most perilous sea crossings in the world”.

After nearly three years of operations in which it rescued some 30,000 migrants, the Aquarius had been forced to cease operations because of what the group said was obstruction by some European countries.

Italy’s populist-dominated government has become particularly hardline against accepting undocumented migrants on its territory. (Vanguard Nigeria)

By Lamin Njie

The Supreme Court will in November deliver a landmark judgment in the sensational case of Ya Kumba Jaiteh.

Former national assembly member Ya Kumba Jaiteh in March this year filed a lawsuit at the Supreme Court against President Adama Barrow after the president sacked her from her role. She is arguing the president has no power to sack a national assembly member.

Ms Jaiteh lost an initial appeal at the apex court in which she asked the court to stop the swearing in of her successor Foday Gassama.

Ya Kumba Jaiteh, a member of the United Democratic Party, was removed as a member of the national assembly by President Barrow in February this year.

By Lamin Njie

The high court in Banjul last week sentenced Pap Ibrahim Khalilulaye Thiam to death for killing hairdresser Fatou Loum.

Thiam was standing trial over the strangling of Fatou Loum in January 2018. The incident happened in Kololi, at the victim’s salon.

Last week, Justice Z. Jawara Alami of the High Court last week sentenced Thiam to death, The Standard newspaper reported on Thursday.

Justice Z. Jawara said she could not conclude without saying that the commission of murder in the case was international, cold blooded and brutal and very uncommon in this society, the paper added.

“A strong message must therefore be sent to curb such cold blooded acts that go against the grain of society.

“The dreadful crime committed has cut short the life of a young woman brutally, who would never know what it feels like to get married, have children and grow old, all because of a mere D800 and a Samsung Galaxy S2.

“This leaves the court wondering what kind of person the accused person is. One can only conclude that he is a psychopath,” Justice Jawara said.

“I therefore have no discretion under section 188 of the Criminal Code on reducing a death penalty sentence.

“Judicial notice is however taken of the fact that there is a moratorium on the death penalty, however I can only take notice of this as Section 187 still stands and has not been amended or repealed.

“The accused Pap Ibrahim Khalilulaye Thiam is hereby sentenced to death.”

The development means The Gambia has landed its first inmate on death row since the commutation of the death sentences of 22 prisoners on death row in May this year by President Adama Barrow

By Lamin Njie

The Gambia Democratic Congress said Thursday its leader has cut short his foreign trip and will return to The Gambia to take part in ongoing efforts aimed at restoring peace.

Mass protests erupted in Serrekunda Wednesday afternoon following the death of 33-year-old businessman Ousman Darboe. Darboe is believed to have died as a result of torture allegedly meted out to him by the police – and a procession of mainly angry youths congregated at the Serekunda police station and Police Anti-Crime Unit in Bijilo respectively to protest Darboe’s death. The protests continued into Wednesday evening.

On Thursday, opposition GDC said in a statement its leader Mamma Kandeh “is keenly following events in the Gambia and has expressed grave concern about current situation in our country.”

“From abroad, he calls for restraint, calm and law-abiding on both sides of the confrontation. He is extremely sad and sorry for the death of Mr Ousman Darboe a market vendor and in the same vein urge the protesters to resort to dialogue,” the statement said.

“He extend his condolence to the family of the deceased and urging the authorities to conduct a swift and an impartial investigation on the incident.

“Hon kandeh reminds us all that the peace and stability of our nation rest entirely on our individual and collective responsibilities.

“Hon. Kandeh is expected to cut his overseas trip to return to the Gambia and play a pivotal role in our nation’s ongoing reconciliation and transformation.”

Mamma Kandeh will arrive at the Banjul International Airport later today, The Fatu Network understands.

By Lamin Njie

Angry protesters set all prisoners free and burnt offices after they overran Serrekunda Police Station Wednesday.

Mass protests erupted in Serrekunda Wednesday afternoon following the death of 33-year-old businessman Ousman Darboe. Darboe is believed to have died as a result of torture allegedly meted out to him by the police – and a procession of mainly angry youths congregated at the Serekunda police station and Police Anti-Crime Unit in Bijilo respectively to protest Darboe’s death. The protests continued into Wednesday evening.

The police in a statement said they were renewing their call for calm.

The statement signed by police spokesman Lamin Njie said: “Following several acts of vandalism, attacks on the Police and destruction of properties by protesters, the Office of the IGP is renewing its call for calm and restraint.

“Several vehicles of the Police have been damaged, Police officers injured and an Arson attack on the home of the Commander of the Anti Crime Unit. In which incident, his house was vandalized and properties looted.

“In view of the above, the Inspector General’s Office is calling on the public to maintain peace and refrain from gathering around Police Stations, Markets, Area Council premises and Security Installations.

“Personnel of the security services will conduct vigorous patrols and checks in order to ensure safety and security of the public. The cooperation of the general public is highly solicited.”

By Lamin Njie

The Gambia Police Force Wednesday evening called for calm amid fresh fears of pandemonium in Serrekunda.

Mass protests broke out of Serrekunda Wednesday afternoon after news of the death of 33-year-old businessman Ousman Darboe. Darboe is believed to have died as a result of torture allegedly meted out to him by the police – and a procession of mainly angry youths congregated at the Serekunda police station and Police Anti-Crime Unit in Bijilo respectively to protest Darboe’s death. The protests continued late Wednesday.

The police in a statement said they were renewing their call for calm.

The statement signed by police spokesman Lamin Njie said: “Following several acts of vandalism, attacks on the Police and destruction of properties by protesters, the Office of the IGP is renewing its call for calm and restraint.

“Several vehicles of the Police have been damaged, Police officers injured and an Arson attack on the home of the Commander of the Anti Crime Unit. In which incident, his house was vandalized and properties looted.

“In view of the above, the Inspector General’s Office is calling on the public to maintain peace and refrain from gathering around Police Stations, Markets, Area Council premises and Security Installations.

“Personnel of the security services will conduct vigorous patrols and checks in order to ensure safety and security of the public. The cooperation of the general public is highly solicited.”

By Lamin Njie

The Gambia government has said it will set up an ‘independent’ inquiry into the circumstances leading the death of a 33-year-old man.

Mass protests erupted in Serrekunda on Wednesday following the emergence of the death of Ousman Darboe, a store owner at Serrekunda Market.

A procession of mainly angry youths congregated at the Serekunda police station and Police Anti-Crime Unit in Bijilo respectively to protest Darboe’s death. He is said to have died last Friday as a result of the torture meted out to him by members of the Anti-Crime Unit of the Gambia Police Force.

The Gambia government in a statement late Wednesday said it “is fully committed to the values of democracy, rule of law and respect for human rights.”

“Consistent with these norms, The Gambia Government will immediately set up an Independent Enquiry into the circumstances leading to the late Ousman Darboe’s death and if any person or persons were to be found liable, they will face the full force of the law,” the statement signed by government spokesperson Ebrima Sankareh said.

It added: “Meanwhile, The Gambia Government appeals for calm and advises citizens especially the youth, to stay home and resist the temptation to be violent.

“The public is urged to refrain from provoking the security forces and all acts of vandalism as evident in the incineration of Police Commissioner Mboob’s residence earlier today at Ebo Town.”

By Lamin Njie

Two American citizens who disappeared while on a trip to The Gambia were killed on the orders of former president Yahya Jammeh, it has been revealed.

Mamut Ceesay and Ebou Jobe travelled to The Gambia in 2013 but the trip misfired after they disappeared without a trace.

Cindy Gregg, then charge’ d’affaires at the US Embassy in Banjul spoke on the issue at the time saying The Gambia government had denied knowledge of the presence of the two Americans in their custody, while urging the public to come up with information about them.

Her successor, Ambassador George Staples was more upfront on the issue and in a meeting with Gambian editors in December 2014, the top diplomat said of the missing Americans: “My message is very simple: Where are my Americans? Where are they? As far as I can tell, as far as we know, they were picked up and then disappeared.

“We have asked the government for an investigation, we have offered assistance from US organizations like the FBI and we hope and are still hopeful of news and we are waiting. An my question is: Where are my Americans?”

On Wednesday, the most compelling answer to the disappearance of the two Americans emerged after a former member of former president Yahya Jammeh’s elite killing crew told the TRRC the duo was killed on the orders of the former president.

“We converged at our base in Kololi and it was Nuha Badjie who told us there is an assignment we needed to do,” Amadou A Jallow also known as Oya told the TRRC.

The jungler team who administered the killing of the two Americans was commanded by Major Nuha Badjie.

Jallow in his tell-all explained: “He (Nuha Badjie) told us there are two Gambian Americans who have come into the country to topple the government of Yahya Jammeh.

“He told us they were inside a hotel but Michael Correa is there keeping an eye on them. He told us when they are going out, he will call us and we will wait for them [on the road] and arrest them.

“We mounted a checkpoint near where Petroleum House is now built. We waited for them and when they came, we arrested them.

“When we arrested them, we asked them where they were lodged. We went with them to where they were lodged.

“We searched the whole place and what they had in their possession was their personal belongings and a [refrigerator] truck. When we searched the truck, we found bags of hay. We searched the bags but we saw nothing.

“We found money on them, dollars and dalasis. We gave the money to Nuha Badjie. We then took them to our base in Kololi. This happened between 2am and 3am.

“When we got to our base, it was the officers who were interrogating them and what the officers told us was the two men said their trip to the country was to topple the government of Yahya Jammeh.

“I didn’t get inside but I know they were beaten during the interrogation. After the interrogation, we called General Sulayman Badjie and told him we have arrested the two men. Sulayman Badjie said we should wait so he could talk to [President] Yahya Jammeh.

“We sat and waited. Yahya Jammeh was in Kanilai at the time. Around 5pm, General Sulayman Badjie called Major Nuha Badjie and told him Yahya Jammeh said he wanted to see them, that we should take them to him.

“We put them in a vehicle and took them to Kanilai. When we got to Kanilai it was our leaders; Major Nuha Badjie, Captain Momodou Jarju alias Rambo, Lieutenant Mustapha Sanneh and Lieutenant Malick Jatta are the people who took the two men to Yahya Jammeh’s house.

“When they came out with them, Nuha Badjie stood in front of us and said Yahya Jammeh has given an order that we should kill them and cut them into pieces.

“We put them in a vehicle and drove them to Yahya Jammeh’s garden. Solo Bojang took the lead to show us where to bury them. When we got to the place, we stopped and alighted the vehicles. There was a shed. I was one of the people who went to that shed to fetch spades and pickaxes.

“While [some of us] where digging a grave, the rest took plastic bags and put them over their heads. They were suffocated to death.

“[And] because Yahya Jammeh gave an order for them to be cut into pieces, Malick Manga and Nfansu Nyabally cut their heads [off their bodies]. After we completed the digging, we put them into the grave and buried them. We then left.”

Mamut Ceesay had two children and worked as an infrastructure systems analyst for Chevron and Texaco in Houston. His friend Ebou Jobe, a father of three, was an operations manager at Walmart.

Police in The Gambia have said they will continue their investigation into the death of Ousman Darboe.

Angry youths Wednesday stormed Serrekunda Police Station and Police Anti Crime Unit in Bijilo respectively to protest the death of a man believed to be a Guinean national. The police in a statement later named the man as Ousman Darboe.

The statement signed by police spokesman Lamin Njie said: “The office of the Inspector General of Police received disturbing information about a mob of angry youth marching towards the Anti Crime Unit to protest the demise of Ousman Darboe. The Office of the IGP is calling on the youth to observe calm and restraint.

“Ousman Darboe’s name came up during investigations into a Breaking and Stealing incident that occurred at Kerr Serign on 11th July 2019. Suspects in the said case confessed selling items stolen from the Kerr Serign incident to Ousman Darboe.

“Investigators visited his shop at Serrekunda market where a Flat Screen television, part of the stolen items was recovered in his possession.

“On The 12th July 2019, he was arrested and charged with receiving of stolen properties contrary to the laws of the Gambia. On Monday the 15th of July 2019, he was granted bail within 72hours as specified by law and was subsequently reporting on bail.

“Ousman Darboe during his detention was said to be an Asthma patient as shown by medical papers tendered by his family which prompted his bail.

“The Inspector General’s Office assures the public that it will continue a probe into the death of Ousman Darboe and the outcome will be duly communicated to ascertain the cause of death.

“In this regard, the public is urged to maintain the peace and security of the country.”