As the fallout over the pardoning of a Norwegian Paedophile in the Gambia continues, the country’s Attorney General has denied recommending his release to the president.
Abubacarr Tambadou said the pardoning of Svein Åge Sandåker was never brought to his attention for advice and he was not aware of his pardon neither did he make any such recommendation to President Barrow.
He added that he have consistently taken a hard line position on homicide and sexual offences convicts as reflected in all previous pardons in which he participated as a member of the Prerogative of Mercy Committee.
Svein Åge Sandåker was given a three-year jail term and ordered to pay a D600,000 fine in 2012 for abusing six children, the youngest victim was about three years at the time. His jail term was extended to another three-years following his inability to pay the court fine.
However, early this week, the president shocked the nation by given him an early release as part of events marking the Muslim feast of Eid ul- adha.
The presidency have defended the decision it said was base on the recommendations of Mr Tambadou.
But in a letter to the media, Mr Tambadou wrote: “I want to make clear that I was not aware of this matter neither did I make any such recommendation to the President. In fact, I am currently out of the country on the hajj in Saudi Arabia. This matter was not brought to my attention for advice and I have consistently taken a hard line position on homicide and sexual offences convicts as reflected in all previous pardons in which I have participated as a member of the Prerogative of Mercy Committee which also includes the Honourable Minister of Interior, the Inspector General of Police and a religious leader.
I am learning with utter dismay reports circulating on social media that I recommended to the President for the exercise of his prerogative of mercy on one Norwegian citizen convicted of child abuse in The Gambia.
I want to make clear that I was not aware of this matter neither did I make any such recommendation to the President. In fact, I am currently out of the country on the hajj in Saudi Arabia. This matter was not brought to my attention for advice and I have consistently taken a hard line position on homicide and sexual offences convicts as reflected in all previous pardons in which I have participated as a member of the Prerogative of Mercy Committee which also includes the Honourable Minister of Interior, the Inspector General of Police and a religious leader.
I therefore reiterate that I was not involved in any decision to recommend for pardon the said Norwegian citizen contrary to reports that I made the recommendation. Upon my return from the hajj, I will get to the bottom of this matter and find out how the MOJ came to be associated with the purported conflicting statements released on our twitter page.
Meanwhile, it is also disheartening to note that some people see this incident as an opportunity to attempt to further tarnish my reputation by associating this incident with a previous one involving my brother last year. I want to state that I am not my brother and I am not responsible for my brother’s actions as a private legal practitioner. I would like to be judged on my actions alone regarding my professional conduct and not constantly get associated with the actions of my brother who is a private legal practitioner.
I will not allow anyone with any kind of agenda whatsoever to distract me from my objective of establishing strong foundations for democratic practice, respect for human rights and upholding the rule of law in our country. The challenge is hard enough without the pettiness and personal attacks from some quarters albeit limited.”
Am sorry mr president, I don’t know who advised you to pardon the paedophile, but check it and correct it out you are facing public outcry.
My recommendation are
1. Parliament needs to pass a tougher laws to prevent this kind of things happening.
2. All children’s, minors and school students should be protected under the same law.
3. All schools should be monitor for any potential abuses by their teachers and head teachers, as such abuses is rampant in the Gambia, in some cases teachers dating their own students and sexually abuse them, this as to has to stop.
5. Law should be available kids who felt being abuse and seek for protection through social services and once again these children are the futures and we must protect them.
I wonder if a presidential pardon for Michael Cohen is now off the table? For Trump it will have to be, Swami, if only because if he pardons Cohen, a condition of that pardon is he has to tell all he knows in open court about what hes being pardon for, and declaring the fifth is no longer available at that point. Even if he did, assuming Cohen has already told everything, theres the state charges around the Foundation that he cannot pardon him for.