(Open Letter to President Adama Barrow)
Dear President Barrow,
I’m one of the many other Gambians who choose to stay at the slim margins of Gambian politics. We generally refrain from making any public statements on what is happening in the country-good or bad. But the killing of our people in Faraba where I have close family living and the unjust arrest and detention of ASP Musa Fatty has forced me to share words I consider are for your own political good.
Mr. President, ASP Musa Fatty is not the killer of our people who were shot in Faraba. From reliable sources, ASP Fatty removed all the live rounds in his pistol before going to the protest grounds and he kept them in his side pocket. He went to the protest scene with an empty pistol tucked on his one side and the live rounds on a separate pocket on his other side. This is confirmed by the fact that when he was arrested, he returned all the bullets he had taken out from his pistol and returned them to the security un-used. Although, the empty pistol he had on his side pocket accidentally dropped while he and his security colleagues were running away and retreating from the protest scene for their lives, there is every indication that he did not shoot even one single bullet at the scene (this information is from my own enquiries and from a reliable source).
Mr. President, I vouch that ASP Musa Fatty is the type of person who if a roof was going to drop on your head, he will rush to grab it to safe you, even if it ends up hurting him. He is therefore not the type of person who will recklessly shoot and kill our people or any other person.
ASP Fatty is a disciplined, devoted professional of our security services. I’ve known him personally for several years now. I’ve seen him do the right thing and act with his conscience under very difficult political circumstances during the previous regime. In fact, the fact that he removed his live bullets from his pistol before going to the protest scene confirms his discipline, professionalism and his awareness of how the security service- civilian relationship has to be carefully handled, especially during periods of crisis.
Mr. President, I’ve been one of your well-wishers who pray for your success behind the scenes and a few people close to you can confirm that. In the show of the same goodwill, I will tell you what I used to tell former President Jammeh in my private fights with him and through the channels of that fight. Do not victimise the innocent. That will burn down the foundation of your power. Act right. Do justice. Otherwise, the end will not be good for you. Specifically, release ASP Musa Fatty immediately and get the real killers. Your regime should be more interested in mass producing the kinds of ASP Musa Fatty in our security services. Do not work to frame him up in order to end the career of such an admirable young man, who has decent professional qualities.
Mr. President, ASP Musa Fatty is not the evil you need to get rid off in your government. Get rid of the real evil within your government. You should now be aware of the people who are undermining your rule and they’re pretending to be your allies. Those are the people you need to tackle, and not ASP Musa Fatty.
Mr. President, I do not know the future. But by the signs of things, let me tell you that what you think will keep you in power, will not be able do so, God willing. Your political destiny might be tied to ASP Musa Fatty’s destiny. Do justice to our fallen brothers from Faraba and find the real killers. Do justice to our innocent brother ASP Musa Fatty and release him from detention. Do not frame him up with the killing of our people. Mr. President, never beat someone for another person’s crime. The wise understands the import of words. Please, release Musa Fatty and get the true killers of our people. I stand in solidarity with my brother ASP Musa Fatty, with our people who we’ve lost, with the bereaving families, with our people wounded recklessly and with all my besieged compatriots who have become disillusioned with the injustices they face in the present circumstances. Do right, Mr. President.
Thank you.
Mariama Khan
Former Secretary-General and Head of the Civil Service of The Gambia.
