The appearance of Edward Singhateh before the Janneh Commission has clearly set the records straight that the AFPRC junta was nothing but a gang of criminals who colluded among themselves to plunder their people’s resources with impunity.
These records are not in what Edward told the commissioners but rather in what he unsuccessfully tried to deny, mislead, misinform and distort and feign ignorance. Certainly Edward knew everything and anything that Yaya Jammeh was involved with because Edward was an integral part of the scam!
To put it into better perspective, we know that on 12 October 1995, Capt. Ebou Jallow submitted a resignation letter to former Chairman of the AFPRC Yaya Jammeh and copied all foreign embassies in the Gambia as well as the Gambian media. In his letter Ebou Jallow raised only four issues as his reasons for resignation. In all of those four reasons, the name of Edward Singhateh was the most prominent for actions that Ebou Jallow considers to be criminal, corrupt and arrogant.
On those four issues Ebou said Edward had interfered with the businesses of TK Motors and unilaterally caused the dumping of rice. He also implicated Edward in the illegal arrest of Waa Juwara, the stabbing of Dr. Omar Njie and the killing of Koro Ceesay. Ebou Jallow concluded that Edward was not only the key player in these activities but that he also got the direct acquiescence of Yaya Jammeh himself.
For purposes of clarity Edward Singhateh was the Vice Chairman of the AFPRC by then. It was during this period that Taiwan gave 35 million dollars to the Gambia of which Edward cannot claim ignorance. The facts surrounding that money and subsequent intrigue between Yaya Jammeh and Ebou Jallow played out right in front of Edward, not as an observer but as a key participant.
Hence when we come to 2018, i.e. 23 years after the resignation of Ebou Jallow, for us to now hear from Edward that he was not aware of all the issues and activities within the AFPRC can only be described as food for monkeys! As Vice Chair, Edward was not only a key participant in the scandalous mismanagement and illegality of Yaya Jammeh, but Edward was in fact a leading actor and beneficiary in suppressing any form of transparency and accountability just to protect that criminal Council of Shame!
The huge role played by Edward Singhateh in the creation and perpetuation of tyranny in our motherland is well documented. His contributions in the various acts of torture, corruption and extrajudicial executions are also well documented. It is when we come to hear testimonies in the forthcoming TRRC that we will find the role and function of Edward even more mind boggling to say the least.
Therefore let us urge Edward and his accomplice Yankuba Touray to speak the truth in order to set themselves free. One cannot be free when one seizes the truth. It is only by setting the truth free that one frees oneself. To help himself, he should have started the process of atonement by sharing the full truth and seeking the forgiveness of Gambians than to seek to bury the truth, which is already an open secret. He can run but he cannot hide. The AFPRC Junta members shall face justice sooner than later.
For the Gambia, Our Homeland
Madi, great commentary and I can’t agree enough with all you said here. I hope Gambians wake up and not let these people fool us once again. It is sickening to hear what some of these people say in front of us after all they have done as if we are fools.
“It is madness to expect evil men to do good” ( The Meditation 11 ) by Marcus Aurelius. Edward Singhateh is an evil man and his testimony at the Janneh Commission is proof positive. His soul is beyond redemption. This man, this cool calm calculated narcissistic criminal looked at Gambians and lied. What was clear to me was that the man was remorseless and unrepentant for the pain and suffering that he and his colleague brought upon the nation. Go back to Asokoro in Abuja, but remember that Gambia will get justice today or tomorrow.
God Bless The Gambia.
You’re right sister. A liar will always pretend to be nice and carefully frame his or her thoughts carefully before speaking. He is Yaya jammeh’s right hand man in evil doings.Therefore let there be Justis for The Gambian Nation. Ameen.
Surely, ‘slow (& steady) but sure, (will) always win the race’; a Manding adage…
Ousman Koro Ceesay was reportedly murdered by Evil bunch of afprc Murderer Devils’ because he (Koro) refused to doctor the records up by cooking the books as the finance minister at the time &/ be silenced as directed (been told) by the Killer Devil-Bandits junta about their ‘thieveries with a determination’, when (he were to be) delivering the budget speech about to be presented shortly; when on seeing the kanilai devil off at the airport, Koro was deceived into a meeting on the very fateful night, to trash-out what they said was ‘misunderstanding’ away to Devil yankuba’s official residence; only to be set upon & murdered in coldest blood; driven & set the lifeless body alight in his official vehicle at Jambur Village; before then, meanwhile yankuba’s wife & family was temporarily taken away to killer Edward’s residence on pretense of a ‘family party’; so the house was set up clear & ready for the cold blood killing if a selfless decent citizen…
I hereby call on the Janneh Commission to subpoen Ebou Jallow for examinations…
The government must know that by end of the Truth & Reconciliation commission there will be no realistic (genuine) reconciliation for the collective move-on together for the nation community ever, without prosecution of these Maggots walking on human legs & in flesh; otherwise the victims, families & love ones will be forced literally, to do the justice deserved to them & us all, by themselves; there’s no doubt about this…
Edward acknowledged, the amount brought over by Ebou jallow in cash was $5,000,000; it (Edward) also said, it truthfully stand for accountability, transparency & probity & personally insisted on the money brought to be deposited in the bank as supposedly required; & even accepted to serve as a signatory to the fake account; though admitting too that the act was illegal in the whole process which was the finance ministry affairs & responsibilities legitimately contrarily to what Edward accepted to doing…
The amount deposited in the bank was some $2,200,000 per reports; how did it escape the Janneh Commission not to have asked Edward the discrepancy in (between) the amount brought & (as compared in contrast to) that was deposited ($5,000,000 – $2,200,000 =$2, 800,00)?….