By: Alieu Jallow
The 50 million dalasi civil suit filed by Environment Minister Rohey John Manjang against The Alkamba Times reporter Kebba Ansu Manneh is set for a possible out-of-court settlement. The case was mentioned in the early hours of Tuesday, November 12, at the Banjul High Court, presided over by Justice Sonia Akinbiyi.
In her originating summons, the plaintiff is seeking damages for libel and slander, and an order directing the defendant to issue a written apology. Rohey John Manjang also seeks a perpetual injunction restraining the defendant, along with any associates, agents, or contacts, from making further defamatory statements against her in any form or manner.
Additionally, the plaintiff requests an order for the defendant to remove all defamatory statements about her from his social media platforms, including his website and Facebook page. She also seeks damages of 50 million dalasis as special damages, an administrative cost of 500,000 dalasis, with an interest rate of 15% per annum until judgment.
The plaintiff claims that on May 22, 2024, her orderly received a call from the Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, and Natural Resources, Babucarr Zaidi Jallow. He informed her orderly that Lower River Region Forestry Officer Lamin Bajo had requested her to return his call. The plaintiff responded to this request and was informed of the confiscation of two illegally felled timber logs by individuals from Kaif village, Kiang East District.
Mr. Bajo also informed the plaintiff that the Lower River Region Governor, Seedy Lamin Bah, alleged that the plaintiff instructed the logs to be transported to the governor’s office. The plaintiff refuted this allegation and instructed Mr. Bajo to ensure that the logs were neither moved nor sold. The plaintiff asked Bajo about the cost of disposing of confiscated logs, to which he responded that, per the Forestry Act of 2018, each log is valued at 20,000 dalasis.
The plaintiff instructed Mr. Bajo to identify a buyer so that the proceeds, amounting to 40,000 dalasis, could be deposited directly into the National Forestry Fund bank account, with a receipt issued as per protocol.
On or about May 23, 2024, the buyer reached out to Mr. Bajo to facilitate the sale. However, Mr. Bajo declined to proceed, informing the buyer that “the minister has no right to sell confiscated logs.”
On May 24, 2024, the plaintiff sent an email to Permanent Secretary Ebrima Jawara, expressing serious concerns about the ongoing forest depletion and the alleged inaction of Regional Forestry Officer Lamin Bajo and the Director of Forestry. She stated that she had instructed the Director of Forestry to ensure Mr. Bajo complied with the proper disposal of the logs, warning that failure to do so could result in disciplinary action.
On June 16, 2024, Permanent Secretary Ebrima Jawara reportedly received a text message from the defendant, reading:
“Good evening PS, this is Kebba Ansu Manneh of The Alkamba Times. Would you mind shedding light on the minister’s attempt to sell an illegally felled mahogany tree at Kiang Kaif? Is it true that the minister personally sold that tree? We also understand that the minister conspired with Bakary Fatty and sold the mahogany to Lamin Jassey.”
The Permanent Secretary did not respond to this message or forward it to the plaintiff, as he considered it fabricated and did not wish to ruin her Eid ul-Adha holiday. The message was later shared with the plaintiff on June 18, 2024, when work resumed after the holiday break.
Upon receiving the message, the plaintiff requested that the Permanent Secretary call the defendant and place him on speakerphone. The Permanent Secretary invited the defendant for an interview, but the defendant, claiming to be in Kaur, could not attend. The defendant allegedly proceeded to make unsubstantiated allegations, accusing the plaintiff of selling an illegally felled mahogany tree for 200,000 dalasis and receiving $150,000 into her personal account from the sale.
The plaintiff claims that on June 19, 2024, the defendant falsely published defamatory statements on The Alkamba Times website under the title, “Environment Minister, Former LRR Governor Accused of Involvement in an Illegal Transaction of Seized Logs.” These statements included:
“An inquiry uncovered signs of corruption involving the Environment Minister, Rohey John Manjang, and ex-Governor of Lower River Region Seedy Lamin Bah, implicating them in disposing of remnants from an illegally felled mahogany tree in Kiang East District.”
“The mahogany tree was allegedly purchased for 200,000 dalasis, with 150,000 deposited into an account reportedly belonging to Minister Rohey John Manjang, while the remaining 50,000 was paid into Bakary Fatty’s account, a well-known local politician in the area.”
The plaintiff claims that the publication of these false statements has severely harmed her credit and reputation, bringing her into public scandal, odium, and contempt. She alleges that the defendant’s defamatory actions have caused the public, including her family, friends, and online followers, to question her integrity, viewing her as an unethical and corrupt minister involved in unlawful activities.
Modou M. Drammeh, representing the plaintiff, informed the court that they had been served with the statement and would need time to file a reply.
Court: “In the interest of justice, this case is adjourned to December 12, 2024, at 9:30 a.m. for mention and settlement.”
