A Mother… Fanta Jawara, a US citizen was arrested and along with many peaceful protesters and still held in the notorious secret jails of the Gambian Dictator Yahya Jammeh.
Proceedings today in court, June 27, 2016
The state has rest their case today in Lawyer Darboe and 19 others case. They brought in a police witness used in the past to testify again. This time using a point newspaper coverage of Darboe protest as part of the last evidence.
In the Solo Sandeng habeas corpus application the state blame communication problem. They claimed that they did not receive Sir Jeng’s affidavit on time to proceed.
Darboe and co’s case will resume on July 4, 2016
Gambia’s ex-Justice minister Lamin Jobarteh risks returning to prison
By Alhagie Jobe
Gambia’s former Attorney General and Minister of Justice Lamin AMS Jobarteh who benefitted from a presidential pardon in 2015 as he was serving a two years prison term may return back to jail in Mile II Central Prison if information received by The Fatu Network is anything to go by.
A leaked reply letter obtained by this medium dated 12th November 2015 from the Office of The President signed by Isatou Auber for Secretary General and addressed to the Solicitor General and Legal Secretary at the Ministry of Justice with Subject: State VS Lamin AMS Jobarteh indicated an executive decision that the criminal charges against Mr Jobareth cannot be dropped.
The executive decision contained in the two paragraph letter was an acknowledgement of receipt by the Office of the President of the Solicitor General and Legal Secretary’s letter ref: AG/C/27/VOL.3/PART V/ (78) dated 4th November 2015 in which the Solicitor General and Legal Secretary sought clarification on the criminal charges filed by the State against Lamin AMS Jobarteh.
The reply letter reads: I acknowledge receipt of your letter ref: AG/C/27/VOL.3/PART V/ (78) dated 4th November 2015 in which you sought clarification on the criminal charges filed by the State against Lamin AMS Jobarteh.
The correspondence was duly transmitted and I convey the Executive decision that the criminal charges against Mr Jobarteh cannot be dropped.
Mr Jobarteh was convicted and sentenced on Thursday, 19th December 2013 along with former Secretary General Dr Njogu Bah, and former Solicitor General Pa Harry Jammeh, to a mandatory jail term of two years by the Special Criminal Court after been found guilty on charges of conspiracy to carry out a lawful purpose by an unlawful means and abuse of office.
Previous criminal cases
Mr Jobarteh who was facing several criminal charges along with Pa Harry Jammeh, former Solicitor General were first arraigned before the Banjul Magistrate Court presided over by Magistrate Dawda Jallow on Wednesday, 19th June, 2013, charged with ten counts including conspiracy to defeat justice, official corruption, negligence of official duties, abuse of office and destroying evidence. They pleaded not guilty and were remanded in Prison custody.
On Wednesday July 24th, 2013, the state prosecutors filed more charges against Mr Jobarteh at the Special Criminal Court in Banjul before former Justice Emmanuel Nkea. The charges included abuse of office, wrongfully retaking possession of land from person who obtained possession by writ of court, economic crime, giving false information to a public officer, forcible entry, and operating business without a license.
Mr Jobarteh denied the charges, and was granted a court bail of D3 million with two Gambian sureties with landed properties within the Greater Banjul Area which worth D3 million. The bail conditions further stipulated that Jobarteh should be reporting every Monday, Wednesday and Friday to the Old Yundum Police Station and should also deposit his travel documents with the registrar of the High Court.
On Monday, December 16th, 2013, state prosecutors brought another two fresh count charges of abuse of office against Mr Jobarteh, at the Banjul Magistrates’ Court presided over by Principal Magistrate Hilary Abeke.
Presidential pardon
On Wednesday, July 22nd, 2015, Mr Jobarteh was among over 200 prisoners amnestied by President Jammeh during the 21st anniversary celebration of the July 22nd Revolution. Those pardoned included were those who were convicted and imprisoned, during the period from 1994 to 2013, for various specified offences, including treason, murder, and drug trafficking. Among those released were also prisoners on death row or serving life imprisonment.
All those prisoners that fell under the said categories were released on Friday 24th July, 2015 at a ceremony held at the headquarters of the Gambia Prisons Service located at Mile 2 just outside Banjul.
Until his day of pardon, Mr Jobarteh was on trial in two separate criminal cases at the Special Criminal Court in Banjul, plus one other criminal case at the Banjul Magistrates’ Court.
Government says Solo Sandeng died of Shock and Respiratory Failure
Below we produce an affidavit and a Dr’s report about Solo Sandeng’s condition while in state custody.
The ‘Brexit’ Vote and Gambian Foreign Policy
Mr Editor
With so much concern and disquiet surrounding the United Kingdom, I find it useful to gauge and engage fellow Gambians in the debate thereof. This article is in reference to the so-called ‘Brexit’ referendum in which the British public voted to exit from the European Union. The result was so unexpected and a stunning blow to the aims and objectives of bureaucrats in Brussel, and the vast European public seeking a closer union. As news break on an undesirable of outcomes, Prime Minister David Cameron has tendered his resignation, with £sterling plummeting against the dollar, and uncertainty in the air across London and elsewhere. From Berlin, Paris, to D.C., world leaders are reluctantly digesting the flumes of this political earth-quake the ramifications of which shall continue to reverberate for months and years on end, even generations. Right-wing politicians pursuing vested interest had engaged in fictional politics inciting xenophobia in gathering votes. But the facts are these: In terms of commerce the Eurozone boasts the single largest market of over 300 million consumers enhancing cross-border trade and an opportunity not to be missed, but the people of the United Kingdom have spoken, and loud they have. The immigration debate had been heightened by the nationalist parties with NAZI connotations on an unprepared electorate careless with the facts. Regardless, whether one agrees with the result or not, the vote signifies the strength of people power in a democracy, in that politicians are agents of the electorate – showcasing that power belongs to the people.
The premise of this correspondence centres on the wider Banjul-London ties regarding bilateral cooperation touching on trade, tourism, education, and much more. I write in the believe that Gambian diplomats in London had anticipated such a development and have corresponded accordingly to their superiors in Banjul. It is hoped that the Foreign Ministry in Banjul will convene an emergency meeting as soon as possible – crucially at cabinet level with the President leading such a dialogue so as to gauge expertise opinion analysing the outcome and consequences therein pertaining to Banjul-London ties going forward. I urge a bi-partisan foreign relations select-committee of parliament to invite both the British Ambassador and the EU country representative to answer questions relating to the aforementioned referendum outcome and the consequences for the Gambia, if any. The country has a huge diaspora population spread across the United Kingdom who need reassurance from the leadership in Banjul as to its position on this. In terms of diplomatic niceties and manoeuvres, Gambian foreign policy should be revisited and reapplied across the island in furtherance of national interest goals as long as uncertainty prevails.
As such the coming weeks and months are crucial with SCOTLAND expected to demand a referendum of its own seeking to leave the union (UK) restoring its independence as a sovereign nation. This democratic process shall be occasioning within the next 15 to 24 months – the outcome of which shall be that the Scottish people will vote to SECEDE from the UK. The far-right parties in the UK have played with people’s fears drumming up the immigration rhetoric and the country shall live to regret this decision. As discourse heightened across the political spectrum Northern Ireland look set to reunite with mainland Ireland in a different referendum, and Wales may follow suit. With so much uncertainty in the air, a complete break-up of the U.K. is not far-fetched leaving mere England standing by itself.
I urge the Gambia government to ready an EMBASSY IN EDINBURGH in the not-too-distant-future with an independent Scotland in view. The argument was that Scotland has been forced out of the EU by this result against their will. And from the premise of her statement earlier today, First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP had subtly intimated that the Scottish people want to remain part of the EU and her party will sort to fulfil those wishes. With a sizeable diaspora population, the Gambia will need a fully-fledged staffed embassy alerted to the West African country’s national interest across Scotland. The North-Sea oil producing region further North in the city of Aberdeen could form a lucrative trading post to such ties with the Gambia looking to explore oil and gas reserves off the Atlantic coast. The Gambia also has more of its citizens living in Scotland than any other African country and we must not be at the back of the queue in establishing a solid-trusted relationship with a future independent Scottish government linking trade, tourism, defence and much more.
Edinburgh is an international city with limited office space and the Gambia may need to move fast in securing a desirable location. It is interesting that countries around the world have been alerted to this with a bevy of activities across the international foray over the past 24-hours. At such a juncture, Scotland shall reciprocate a diplomatic mission in Banjul entering into bilateral cooperation and agreements. However, the Gambia’s relationship with England must remain strong and unaltered, with BANJUL adopting an ETHICAL FOREIGN POLICY in pursuance of her NATIONAL INTEREST around the world.
Mr Gibril Saine
England.
Ideological makeover Gambia needs today
Gambia is yarning hungrily for any beam of compassionate leadership to pull it’s factions together in order to regain the social capital it lost as a nation. The current leader has knocked down the once smiling coast of Africa to its knees as a results of badly damaged society, a diminished citizen influence, a ravished economy struggling after 20 years of bad policies. Many Gambians concerned about country are sometimes trapped in magical thinking: how to rescue the country from the claws of dictatorship even though we keep getting setbacks or breakups due to lack of trust among ourselves. Some patiently over the years invested their time, their money and their reputations in stopping Yaya Jammeh, and nothing worked so far. Some people are not bordered at all, so they go through life as if nothing is wrong in Gambia for various reasons. Others don’t even want people know they are from Gambia because of shame of what the country stands for now. Sins of Gambia’s leader who is always using flowery language to engineer a reaction with few of his loyalists are felt deeply everywhere. All these scenarios come barreling out because all the events of Yaya Jammeh’s harsh actions against Gambians hasn’t been processed up until now. Well as human, some always expect death to knock at their neighbor’s door first and violence to reach out poor first.
Worst of all, our inability to take on a problem and call it what is it rather than dancing around an unpleasant reality is part of the enveloping cloud of political correctness gives life-support to the APRC regime. It you check Gambia’s pulse under APRC regime, most of its citizens feel Gambia —is economically adrift and culturally left behind. Its neighbor, is now the darling of the west because of its democracy model. A French speaking country is enjoying all the benefits of investments, developmental aid, modernization, factorization, which naturally where all thrown under Gambia’s feet. Its current leader marketing slogan of the country’s image has gone a long way toward transforming Gambia into what it is today and always far—reaching —cursing out the rest of the world. All the neighboring countries are trying to build on their strengths and work on their weaknesses, but Gambian leader is doing quite the opposite. He has hunger for a never-ending supply of admiration from outsiders such as Nigerian movie stars or foreign musicians. That’s all he cares about. Other leaders are travelling empty hand to the west, getting table seats at powerful institutions, bringing back developmental projects for their nations etc. As for Gambia, nothing for us because we have someone with swords, beads on his hand and cannot rest unless he is in the spotlight often based around wrong admiration or contempt.
For while, Gambian youths whom have no hope have been flooding out of the country to the high seas and it seems it does not concern its current leader. Most feel they have no option because the current leader has a pathological personality, driven by deep inner compulsions that defy friendly advice, political interest and common sense. The man who just crushed their hopes is in no mood to submit to them despite all tears shed by the citizens. He sees that as an opportunity to pave a way for his social engineering project of the society. The Gambian current leader claiming a higher responsibility to moral tone, looks down on his citizens and has a valuing criteria of citizens based on simple division — a person’s particular tribe, political affiliation, community you belong to and your loyalty. If you have this simplistic mind, how can you understand the citizens needs or have empathy for others?
This is the results of the discrimination we are seeing today. We need a leader who owes his first energies to doing something for the nation to regain back its mojo rather than preoccupied with luxury, appearance or anything that signals wealth, beauty, power and success. As for the opposition and diasporian, our lives don’t matter because we are seen as victims to be crushed as part of some dominance display of power. Therefore, they hire people go out daily in search of enemies to insult and friends to degrade. But despite all of these, in the service of the country we remain to build back the social fabric of society.
By Habib ( A Concerned Gambian)
Salieu Taal is new Gambia Bar Association president
By Alhagie Jobe
The Gambia Bar Association (GBA) has appointed Mr Salieu Taal to fill the position of President, replacing Ms Loubna Farage who resigned from the position, The Fatu Network has confirmed.
Ms Farage’s resignation was accepted by the Executive on the 21st June 2016 following somber reflection at a meeting held on the 2nd June 2016.
A letter signed by Abdul Aziz Bensouda, secretary general of the Association and addressed to the Chief Justice and Chairman of the General Legal Council and Attorney General dated June 21st, 2016 confirmed the appointment of Mr Taal to perform the duties of president until the expiry of the 2016 executive term which is in pursuant to Article 12 of the Constitution of The Gambia Bar Association.
“For the sake of clarity, Article 12 provides that if a vacancy occurs in the executive pursuant to Article 9 or due to resignation, death, mental infirmity or otherwise, the Executive may appoint one of their members or a suitable member of the Association to fill and or perform the duties pertaining to the vacant office provided that member satisfies the requirements specified in Article 10. Any person who fills a vacancy pursuant to this article shall remain a member of the executive for the remainder of the term of the member whose place he or she has filled” the Executive noted.
The Association thanked Mr Farage for her commitment and continued devotion to the Bar Association and three and half years of tireless service and contribution to its goals and objectives.
Judicial shake-up
Over the past months, the Gambia’s judiciary was shaken-up by the political case of opposition UDP leader Ousainou Darboe and Co resulting to the resignation and sacking of several senior judiciary officials.
Justice Edrissa Fafa M’bai, former acting president of the Gambia Court of Appeal was replaced by Justice Oluremi Ademola Adegoke, Cherno Marena, Solicitor General was removed as Solicitor General while Barrister Yassin Senghore, Secretary to the General Legal Council is said to have resigned from her position.
Who is Salieu Taal
Mr Taal works in Corporate and IT law since 1999. He is also actively involved in the development of Consumer Rights in the Gambia and is a founder member of the Consumer Association of the Gambia (CPAG).
He is currently the Managing Partner of Temple Legal Practitioner, and has worked as a corporate lawyer in the UK. He graduated with Honors and an LLB from The University of Buckingham, and a Masters of Art in International Relations from The University of Kent. He is a member of the English Bar (inner temple).
Confusing political identity, self-restraint and ethnic identity with Patriotism
From the horrors of our fellow citizens wrongly accused of crimes, arbitrary arrest of citizens in undisclosed locations with lengthy jail terms, forced confessions, citizens losing their lives from regime terrors, the dead among us denied proper burial, showering up citizens with radical statements promoting disunity, taking advantage of the poor or weak, favoring communities against one another, injustice meted out to UDP members, to the wave of condemnation throughout the world it invited, outrage each day in the waning months of the APRC regime era exceeds the outrage of the previous day. This is exactly the governing philosophy that Yaya Jammeh warned against. All those hundreds of little betrayals lead got us to the dysfunction we see all around. That is the news we have for you Yaya Jammeh about the last 20 years. What good news do you have for us — to catch the vision of what the nation can accomplish with those record?
Never have Gambians have to deal with such a surge of such horrors layered one atop another close at hand over the last 20 years or so. How did this situation come about? The APRC has lost credibility to continue to govern Gambians by devouring all the principles it preached against over the course of a long chain of political miscalculation, corruptions, judicial interference, misinforming the public, philosophical betrayals, rhetorical excesses abuse from it leader who has a sudden interest of rewriting historical facts. To make things worse, Yahya Jammeh attempted to mollify Gambians for the damage he has caused to our lives and future by showering some with entitlements for us to continue to appreciate him. Gambians do not believe anymore he has the qualities of passion, feeling of responsibility and a sense of proportion to make careful decisions towards the citizens.
Everything he does now is carried in a very disruptive that leads Gambia to nowhere instead of allowing citizens to —converse, allowing calm deliberation with the nation before implementing big fundamental changes, self-discipline with the nations coffers, the capacity to listen to other points of view and balance valid but competing ideas and interests. Over the past 20 years, or at least since Yahya Jammeh ceased power, his prose style of stirring one crisis —after another. His rhetorical tone has grown ever more bombastic and he have managed to divide Gambians into different classes of citizens and some people into radical mind-set of blindly following his illegal orders of killings or harming citizens. Citizens with different approach of developing the country —comparisons to bad unpatriotic citizens became a staple.
So I guess now people at once so cynical and so naïve, now know that running a country or a government is a craft, like performing surgery, carpentry or mason. If you don’t possess the skills, don’t do harm to others. The APRC leader does not believe in government and so did not respect its traditions, its disciplines and its craftsmanship. Everything has to be blessed by him. He is the doctor without education, the farmer , the teacher, the law, the religious amir, and the builder. Yaya Jammeh developed a contempt for corruption and tribalism for himself, but it is he who made the most lavish promises imaginable and does the opposite. He has managed to regard political identity as a sort of ethnic identity. Certain positions of interest in the government are only offered to ethnic loyalist of jaw-dropping incompetence and any community — be it the kombos or up country which fails to support him are denied services—which they paid tax for.
Gambians now feel like you and your loyalist are masters at destruction of our society but incompetent at development. Willfully using the levers of power to instill fear in the population in everything you do to produce some tangible respect for you, only results in incremental dislike. Today, the world has witness mercenary judges who do not respect tradition of the court, disregard of Gambians, Laws of the country or precedent and are doing everything to convict Gambians for your satisfaction even in the midst of Ramadan. A scholar once said, “If the birds knows the sweetness of honey in bee’s stomach, they will be certainly nice to them”. So please get to know us better because we all have a stake in the country instead of you constantly over politicizing and undermoralized our society. You build a country out of your citizens, not the other way around.
By Habib ( A Concerned Gambian)