(JollofNews) – Swiss authorities on Wednesday extended the detention of Gambia’s former interior minister for another three months amid an investigation into accusations he committed crimes against humanity while serving in the African country’s government.
Ousman Sonko, who served under ousted Gambian leader Yahya Jammeh, must remain behind bars as the probe by the Swiss Office of the Attorney General (OAG) continues, according to the decision by a regional court in Berne.
Sonko has been in pre-trial custody since January after the Geneva-based legal group Trial International filed a criminal complaint against him. The group accused Sonko of having personally taken part in what it described as torture.
“We welcome this decision which shows the authorities take the allegations against Mr Sonko seriously,” Trial International’s director Philip Grant said. “We hope the investigation can shed light on some of the abuses perpetuated by Jammeh’s regime.”
Sonko’s lawyer in Switzerland, Phillippe Currat, did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment on Wednesday.
Sonko applied for asylum in Switzerland in early November and had been living in an asylum center in the capital Berne before being taken into police custody on Jan. 28.
(Reporting by John Miller; Editing by Ken Ferris)
Source: Reuters
Everyone knows he is guilty so send Sonko back to Gambia so the court can PROVE his guilt. It’s obvious,that’s why he ran away. He is a COWARD and a LIAR
Some people like sonko did not think that day like today will comes, he was not thinking at all during his boss era (yahya Jammeh). Instead he was all about him self and being more wicked to the ordinary gambian people, just to appease his boss by showing how loyalty he was. You know jammeh was wrong, but being selfish and greed will make you less emotional and wicked against your country men. We are a group working very hard here UK to ensure all of these guys face justice. Jammeh will face justice very soon, and his enablers also will face justice include those carried out crimes for jammeh so called jungullars. We will get all of them up to the last man standing.
He is wicked than yahya Jammeh. He has torture and kill many Gambian. Allah shall punish then. He should be send back to Gambia to face justice in gambia