(JollofNews) – State prosecutors in the Gambia Friday filed treason charges against a group of ‘mutinous’ soldiers accused of engaging in mutinous, defamatory, scandalous and unethical acts against the government of President Adama Barrow.
Captain Yaya Biray Jammeh; Lieutenant Abdoulie Jarju; Lieutenant Yaya Jammeh; Sergeant Babucarr Sanneh; Sergeant Malick Bojang; Corporal Sulayman Sanyang; Couple Lamin Gibba; Couple Ebrima Jallow; Lance Couple Sambujang Bojang; Lance Couple Aba Badjie; Private Mbemba Camara and Private Alieu Sanneh are said said to have used WhatsApp to post audio recordings critical of the government.
Dressed in military ceremonial dresses and in handcuffs, the men made their first public appearance since their arrest in July before a military court-martial on Friday at the country’s first infantry battalion in Yundum, some 27 kilometer from the capital, Banjul.
When the case was called, the Deputy Director of Public Prosecution, MB Abubacarr, applied for the matter to be adjourned, saying they are constraint by time. He also applied for the accused persons to be remanded at the State Central Prisons as the detention facilities in the military barracks are inadequate.
Defending the men, Captain Suwaibou Jammeh, objected to the prosecution’s application for his clients to be remanded. He said the accused are charged with the most serious offence and the defence need to sit with their families to secure legal representations.
“We would like them to be kept in the military custody until next adjourned date. We don’t also lay our hands on all the documents including sim card registered details and transcribed WhatsApp chat and voice messages.”
The defence’s objection was overruled by the president of the court, Colonel Salifu Bojang, who ordered them to be kept in prison.
“We have carefully observed the defence application but it has not stated that the accused will not have access to their families while in custody and did not also object to prosecution assertion that military facilities are inadequate,” he stated.
He ordered the prosecution to provide all necessary documents to the defence.
The case continues.
Free speech, opinions and ones ideas even divergent from that of authority or superior is not mutiny. Active or passive participation to distabilize or seize power from a lawful entity is. At most these poor guys are guilty of poor judgement and insorbodination. Nothing that cannot be fixed by 1 or 2 nights in the guard room and reduction in ration. Why they are being inappropriate subject to prosecution is retaliation. It is very wrong. We are all Gambians and we must condemn this action by our government vigorously.
God Bless The Gambia.
Dr, you are right in your statement above…
But situations have evolved currently worldly & indeed locally on the ground from the Gambia we aspired for, far from the Gambia envisaged; if prosecutions in this marshal court of such issues aren’t effected, imagine how it can all end up for the greater innocent community…
Similar treasonous activities undoubtedly led to the kanilai unrest too, which could’ve more consequential divestation for Gambia overall…
I can also remember reading somewhere about a civilian ‘UDP militant’ supporter was also arrested for prosecution by security officers for a similar behaviour which can lead to instability & societal chaos if left unchecked…
I believe the accused will have some humane treatment & prosecuted only in evidence for the crimes charged against them…
There’s no harm in curtailing someone’s individual freedom for some period/s legally, under the law; if it will prevent & safeguard the greater community in general…
The able journalists should report & inform in our following if the accused will be accorded justice as in accordance as expected…
God bless the Gambia; Ameen…
I will agree with you if we are talking about honest people in a matured society. We must maintain order but we must not allow our freedom to be taken from us on flimsy excuse by paranoid self serving officials. That been said this case in particular is retaliation against real or perceived enemy and Jammeh supporters. We as Gambians must vigorously protect all Gambians regardless of ‘tribe’ or religion.
Sure & true Dr; the freedom of the community can’t be taken away ever & mustn’t be taken for granted neither; any attempt to do so, again will be resisted just as done under the kanilai killerdom dark ages before…
Mark you, humble lady, everyone does really think like you do; one will be calculating, pretend & behave just like you the innocent but rather in deceit on ulterior motivations even to the point of societal detriments at the material times…
Every circumstantial situational analysis would avoid missed opportunities & enable mature decisions & actions to impact positivity communally; whilst trying to reduce, minimise & avoid the risk & catastrophe in totality at all costs where possible…
I might be over estimistical, but I see a time were Gambians & non citizens will be to demonstrators at street corners & venues, while the general public goes about normal businesses; but that’s not totally achievable instantly under our current induced political climate; hence due delegence must be taken for the Gambian experience to gazette in the rightful examplary place required at the world stage; as rightly due to innocent Gambia despite what we went through as a community for past 22 years…
Our last impasse of an evil criminal coward, only for devil to curl its tail doing a runner hiding away on the equator; & general displacement & vivid insecurity scare placed upon our innocent venerable community; the recent fatal kanilai unrest additional too & others, why would anyone want to demonstrate just because it’s a right & one want to do so at the material times & possibly invited (enable & facilitate & cause) political turmoil, which is easily possible in our current circumstances; when one can solve the issues differently instead with less threat to the communal society & achieve the same resultant outcomes…
Especially, in reality that the electricity issue being exploited here can’t be solved instantly as being unreasonably on demand as it seems to be the case; otherwise the administration will solve the issue instantly, as I suppose, they would want to be in our good books, politically too in practicality (by ensuring to regular electricity supplies & water availability if possible within means instantly…
The evidence though, actually indicates a political as well as system change we achieved by the advent of this administration…
Yes, short & inadequate currently; I believe, nurturing & encouragement, could be the key & remedies to progress to the lofty aspirations desired…
I vision a Gambia without Ecomig gradually & subsequently; & the frowning face reversing back to the innocent smiles we were ever known for worldly…
Where anyone can shout out at a corner in displeasure, on genuine aggrievements; whilst the general public goes out & about innocently, including tourists & other nationals…
God bless Gambia; Ameen…
Rectification please – everyone doesn’t really think like you do – it meant to read, thank you…
Rectification please – over optimistical – not estimistical;(Alagi Pa Njie, sometimes these gadgets put words into one’s mouth before one can even realise; lol, can’t avoid rectifications unfortunately) thank you…
Bajaw and Dr Sarr, since we do not know the full content of the Whats App messages, it will be naive to think that what obtains in civilian society is the same as in the military. We might all be Gambians but we live by different codes and it is those codes that can make the difference between being on the right side or the wrong side of the law. Correct me if I am wrong but I have always assumed that you are a medical Doctor. If I am right then you will agree with me that the Hippocratic Oath has placed a higher burden on you when it comes to dealing with the public than it places on the general population. Doctor I know you don’t like Jammeh but if he was a prisoner in the Gambia and requires medical attention you would treat him like any of your patients. Your family and friends might think otherwise but you wouldn’t. It won’t surprise me a bit Doctor if a Cabinet Minister comes to you complaining of general body pain and then Jammeh is brought in bleeding or in Peri-arrest or full blown cardiac arrest you will leave the Minister and save Jammeh’s live. We should leave the security forces to do their jobs and not try to second guess them all the times. What you and I might think as trivial can be serious in their world. Doctor, you will be called before the Medical Council if you go on whats app and state that you like watching people die, even though you have not killed anyone but the fact that you as a Doctor should utter such words cannot be left just like that. Looking at the pictures, they all look well and healthy. This shows that Gambia has changed because if they were accused of the same thing in Jammeh’s time only God knows what would have happened to them. All I can urge the Military high command is to make sure all the accused have a fair trial. Doctor depending on what’s been said, the worst any of them will get will be a prison sentence.
I know exactly what is in their WhatsApp communication because Gambian military Officers are like cumulonimbus pouring information like water from their mouths. My point here is not to justify any illegal act or conduct, civilian or military, but to remind us that we are invested in creating a new Gambia that is fair and just to ALL. These soldiers are Jammeh’s supporters. We know that. I know for sure this is retaliation and intended to send a message to all men and women still in uniform that there is a huge price to pay for continued loyalty to Jammeh. I find that troubling. I believe all Gambians are free to defend and associate with whom ever they choose. It is their right to be irresponsible and stupid if they choose.
The duty to treat in an emergency is sacrosanct, but I do not see the analogy here. Specifically the soldiers were never charged with disobeying a superior Officer’s legal orders nor were they charged with any criminal act consistent with military code of conduct. They were charged with “treason”. They did not conspire to distabilize our country nor the presidency. Buba and Bajaw, let’s not split hairs here, these men are wrongly accused and it is very wrong what their government is doing, it is wrong what we their countrymen and countrywomen are doing by refusing to speak with clarity in their defense. They are innocent as charged and our government knows it. Our new Gambia is for us all. All Gambians, all tribes, all colors and religion.
God Bless The Gambia.
Dr, yes they are ‘innocent as charged only’ to be sentenced when found culpable in the court which is marshal in their case as security services who committed to stringent codes of conduct, separate from the rest of the civil service & peasantry public…
I concur & share your concerns, which all humanity must defend for the harmonious continuity of the very survival of humanity at large together…
However, actions of the disgruntled few & recklessly minded & the ‘underworld’ must be always checked to ensure to tighten the leaky ends for the greater community’s safeguard…
If these soldiers supposed to be discipline, who themselves appended their signatures to unconditional services to Gambia only & not individualism; endangered the Gambia & regional safety by engaging in ‘treasonable conduct’ as charged; I approach from the community angle with the evidence at hand & follow the proceedings, arriving to any custodial correctional sentences or be discharged by the court…
Lady Dr, how I too wish for the Gambia you vision like all decent humanity aspire to; but events of the world at large, the subregion around & our very own experiences lately have only indicated for Gambia too to react accordingly to issues which pose essential pontent to strife & inferno if we are to ensure to safeguard at all times…
Dr, the specific specialised trainings accorded to security personnel after appendage of their signatures to service to the community only regardless, are sensitive enough which makes them different from an ordinary civilian like you & me…
What constitute treasonous for a soldier may be lesser charge for peasants; because of resources used for the security personnel reorientation & awareness exposure above the ‘layman’; that’s why the soldier face the marshal, while the civil court for the rest of us…
Dr Sarr, the mere fact that our security forces are leaky mouth means much of what you may hear from them might not be true. We all know that third party information is not the best to rely on. Therefore, I doubt very much if you know exactly all that was said in the groups whats app messages. Furthermore, you and I do not know what other evidence was uncovered by the Military Police during their investigations. Doctor, I have read the story in Foroyaa and what Foroyaa wrote was that the soldiers were charged with nine counts including treason. Going by that report, one could say that this article here is misleading. Despite Foroyaa being a PDOIS newspaper, I personally tend to trust their reporting as more factual than any other paper because unlike other news outlets, Foroyaa does not sensationalize their headlines. Doctor the analogy I gave was to remind you of the fact that professionals that live by a code of ethics and profession are treated differently from the general public when their actions put that profession into disrepute. You being a Medical Doctor cannot joke about loving to see people suffer, an accountant cannot joke about how he can help people evade tax so on and so forth. Therefore. soldiers who took an oath to be loyal to the constitution of the Gambia and their Commander-In-Chief should not and cannot profess loyalty to the ex president. Their behaviour to say the least is open insubordination which if left unchecked can have serious ramifications for our national security. It is true that soldiers have a right to support a political party but that was not what these soldiers were accused of. I would like to bring your attention to General McChrystal of the US Army, who was sacked by Obama because he and some of his aides made comments in the Rolling Stone newspaper about the US Vice President and senior administration officers that were derogatory. At the time he was the ISAF Commander in Afghanistan. Doctor you would not argue that there is no freedom of speech in the US. In fact politicians and other people have said things far worst than him and his aides but because of the nature of their profession, their comments cost them dearly. Doctor your profession makes you see good in people but it also makes you take a simplistic view on security matters. The two are different, security personnel see suspicion in everything. It will help us all to view things from their perspective.
I see the Gambian Pantomime season has started again. It’s show time.
On the basis of their JOLA ethnicity, they are gradually purging them from the army with false allegations of committing treason. What a joke and flagrant abuse of their rights.
CORRUPT and TRIBALIST Mandingo CDS Masaneh Kinteh who is tentatively behind all this episode will one day answer for his evilness. These chaps haven’t done anything, except that they are Jolas from the President Jammeh tribe.
Babu Mad Professor Soli
They are going to pay for their crimes and no hateful Manswango idiot can do anything about it. Their loyalty lies with Jammeh and not country, hence they are dangerous elements to be anywhere nears arms. Lock them up!