Momodou Sabally, former Minister for Presidential Affairs and Secretary General and Head of the Civil Service was earlier today, Monday 8th June ordered to be remanded in prison by Banjul High Court. Sabally faces new charges of abuse of office. He pleaded not guilty and was sent to the badly maintained and congested remand wing of the Mile 2 Prison even though he is on bail for the past few months. The former Secretary General was reportedly arrested last Friday in his family compound in Lamin, Kombo North while he and family were observing the 40 days charity of his mother who passed away recently.
He has since been in detention at the Serious Crimes Unit in Banjul and was brought to court today, which was originally the adjourned date on his ongoing economic crimes trial, abuse of office and giving false information to a public officer. However, instead of the continuation of the testimony of Alasane Ndoye, a State witness in that case, Sabally was slapped with new charges.
Momodou Sabally, who rose to exceptional fame during his one year occupation of the top post at the presidency also served as Secretary General of the ruling APRC party. He was a trusted confidant of Gambian despotic President, Yaya Jammeh. His miseries started in June, 2014 when he was dismissed from his positions, detained for 5 months and later charged with several counts before Justice Emmanuel Amadi of the special Criminal Court.
Analysts are of the view that the new charges brought against Sabally are meant to see him remain in detention and possible jailing because the prospects of his ongoing trial are not favorable to the state. “The testimonies so far from the Alkalo of Bijilo, protocol officer at President Office, Managing Director of Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation have not incriminated Sabally in anyway” said a renowned human rights activist who preferred not to be named. Another analyst cited Sabally’s activeness on facebook and engagement in social events including his newly release documentary-like video on the illegal migration commonly referred to in The Gambia as “Backway” as some of the reason that gave birth to this latest troubles with his former boss. Sabally remained placid and refused to break down like many officials who served and later shown the exit door from the mostly opportunist cabinet of Yaya Jammeh. This is contrary to the wishes of dictator Jammeh who always want to cow his dismissed employees into total submission and isolation.
The erstwhile Secretary General who is on record for having read a statement on national television insulting the mandinka tribe on the directive of the delusional President Jammeh is expected to return to court on Wednesday, June 10. Alasana Ndoye, the Senegalese – American who jetted into the country from Washington DC after weeks of waiting will continue his testimony in relation to one of the counts of ‘giving false information to a civil servant’. Ndoye, the owner of the two American made vehicles is helping the State convince the court that Momodou Sabally indeed lied to the President, when he, then as Secretary General informed him (president) that Ndoye wanted to donate to the President the two vehicles while they are meant for sale.
