(JollofNews) -Welcome to another press briefing of the Ministry of Justice following the last one in May. As usual, the primary purpose of our press briefings is to provide the public with periodic updates and relevant information on the progress of the activities of the Ministry as part of the Ministry’s policy of engendering transparency and accountability in government.
The NIA 9 Case
I welcome the decision of my brother Sheriff to withdraw from the prosecution team in the NIA 9 case. It is the right thing to do under the circumstances. His withdrawal, therefore, will allow the prosecution team to focus on the more important task of establishing criminal accountability for the unfortunate death of Solo Sandeng.
Let me however make clear that the selection of Sheriff as co-prosecutor was the exclusive decision of the Special Prosecutor Mr. Antouman Gaye. As Attorney-General, I have strictly limited all my communications on the case to direct contact with Mr Gaye exclusively. But appointing Mr Gaye as Prosecutor also comes with allowing him a margin of appreciation in his management of the case including his selection of a prosecution team and a prosecutorial strategy of his choosing. For the record, I was made aware of the defence’s proposals to commence negotiations towards a plea bargain and I gave my approval in principle for this.
Notwithstanding, I have come to the conclusion, in view of the entire circumstances of the meeting between Sheriff and the representative of the 1st Accused, and having listened to the audio recording, that the said meeting could reasonably be interpreted as creating the impression that my decisions as Attorney General could be influenced by extraneous factors.
I wish to state for the record, that all the decisions that I have taken since my appointment as Attorney General and Minister of Justice have been based purely on professionalism and in the best interest of the country without any undue influence from anyone including family members.
I wish to state further that my personal commitment to ensure justice for all the victims of human rights violations and abuses of the past 22 years, is matched only by the zeal and enthusiasm with which I embraced the call to return home and serve my country.
I have demonstrated my commitment to justice in the Solo Sandeng case in particular by appointing a senior and very experienced criminal law attorney as Special Prosecutor in the person of Mr Antouman Gaye and I continue to give him all the support necessary to enable him conduct an effective prosecution. I re-iterate my full confidence in Mr Gaye’s ability to prosecute this case with diligence and professionalism as the case for the prosecution remains strong.
I have set myself the goal of restoring public confidence in our justice system and setting the highest standards of integrity in public office. I remain fully committed to these objectives.
These are very difficult times for my family and I thank all those who reached out to show support.
Assets Freeze
On the freezing of the assets in the country of former President Yahya Jammeh, we continue to receive additional information in respect of a significant number of assets purportedly belonging to him and his close associates. We however want to make sure that the reports we are getting about ownership of these latest assets are factual and accurate. We have now filed a supplemental list of assets before the High Court in Banjul for the inclusion of these newly discovered assets in the freezing order. So far, this new list includes 49 additional landed properties located in the greater Banjul area bringing the total number of known landed properties owned by former President Yahya Jammeh to 180 in the country.
Truth, Reconciliation And Reparations Commission
The Ministry has now concluded the first review of the draft TRRC bill. We have also now shared this draft bill with international experts who have acquired experience on the establishment of truth commissions from around the world. Let me emphasize that while we will seek the views of outsiders on our truth commission process, our TRRC will be designed by the people of The Gambia based on a model that fits the particular social, cultural, political and historical context of The Gambia.
Consequently, the Ministry intends to lead a team on a tour of all the administrative regions of the country to engage the people in discussions about the TRRC process. The touring team will be selected from a cross-section of Gambian religious, political, ethnic, civil society, professional, youth and women communities who shall themselves undergo a one or two day workshop about the methodology of the public consultations on the TRRC before embarking on the tour. The different groups will be requested to nominate members for the touring team.
We hope to start this public engagement tour in early August 2017 so that the finalized draft bill will be tabled before the National Assembly in September. If the bill is passed into law, the recruitment exercise for positions in the TRRC will commence soon after to ensure that we remain on course to start hearings by the end of the year as planned. Recruitment will be done through an open competitive process for most of the posts with a few exceptions such as direct appointments by the President of the Republic.
We shall soon start radio and television discussions about the whole TRRC process, its objectives and rationale so that there will be better understanding about the process for both perpetrators and victims and the public at large. The Ministry has already started reaching out to Christian and Islamic religious leaders to engage with and encourage their communities and congregations to be open and truthful about our dark past as a way to sustainable peace and genuine reconciliation in the country. This is particularly important as perpetrators and victims of abuses continue to live together in small communities with mistrust and suspicion hovering over them and that this needs to be addressed in an open, transparent and truthful manner.
We therefore continue to call on community leaders and youth and women’s groups to engage their people in these discussions nationwide in a constructive manner. In this regard, we welcome the recent initiative of the National Council for Civic Education on the National Dialogue on Peace and Reconciliation and the public support given to this process by the respective Chiefs of Foni and the National Assembly members in the area.
Conversely, the Ministry of Justice condemns unequivocally all acts or utterances that encourage sectarianism in this country. Political and community leaders must conduct themselves with responsibility especially in their utterances and anything that tends to divide us along political or tribal lines should be avoided. We encourage everyone to embrace the message of peace in our communities. The present mood in the country is one of refreshing freedom and liberty. While we will exercise maximum restraint in the strict application of the law under these circumstances, this must not be interpreted as weakness. Democracy must not be equated with lawlessness. The exercise of any fundamental rights also come with responsibility to society and respect for governmental authority. No one should take the law unto themselves lest we undermine the very essence of our new found democracy which we all fought so hard to achieve.
The Ministry welcomes the official establishment of the Gambia Centre for Victims of Human Rights Violations. We encourage them to reach out and include in their organization all the victims of human rights violations and abuses of the 22 year rule of President Yahya Jammeh and I assure them of my personal commitment to justice for all. We look forward to working closely with the Centre and building a strong partnership with them in this entire process. We will not be able to achieve much without their continuous support and solidarity and that is why ours will be a victims’ centered approach. We are a traumatized nation and our people must never be allowed to go through a similar experience again!
Constitutional Review
At a national conference on Justice and Human Rights held in The Gambia on 23 – 25 May, 2017 under the auspices of the Ministry of Justice, and following identification of numerous amendments proposed for the 1997 Constitution, there was general consensus by a cross-section of the participants from Gambian religious, political, civil society and other communities that overall, the strategic objective of a return to sustainable democracy, would require the drafting of a new Constitution as a review by amendments to the 1997 Constitution will be too numerous and may not address all issues comprehensively. It is expected, therefore, that a new constitution of the Republic of The Gambia which will usher in the 3rd Republic, shall be adopted at the end of this exercise.
The MOJ, in consultation with the office of the Chief Justice, has now finalized a draft concept note and terms of reference for this constitutional review process. It is proposed that a Constitutional Review Commission be established with membership drawn from a cross-section of Gambian political, religious, civil society, youth, women, professional and other communities. The CRC will be mandated to engage in consultations with the Gambian public both in the country and outside. The CRC shall submit its report together with a new draft constitution based on its public consultations. The duration of the Commission shall be for 18 months from the date it will be established and the entire exercise shall last for not more than 2 years. The draft constitution shall be put to a referendum for adoption by the people of The Gambia. The proposed new constitution of The Gambia shall be one that reflects faithfully and accurately the views of the generality of Gambians both at home and abroad and from a cross-section of Gambian religious, political, civil society, youth, women, professional and other communities. Further details about the entire process will be shared in due course. The Commission shall engage in very rigorous public information and outreach programs about its activities and functions soon.
Commissions Of Inquiry
A presidential Commission of Inquiry into the financial activities of public enterprises, bodies and offices as regards their dealings with former President Jammeh has now been established. The Commission’s Terms of Reference have been published and are available at the National Printing Office. The Commission shall sit for 3 months from July 2017 at the Jerma Beach Hotel. The Commission will soon make public announcements with further details about their sittings etc.
There are plans to establish a second Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the alleged unlawful interference with and/or confiscation of private property by former President Yahya Jammeh under cover of the State. The Ministry has received numerous complaints and petitions from individuals alleging unlawful confiscation of their properties especially land by former President Yahya Jammeh under cover of the State. It is the Ministry’s view that in light of the number of complaints and petitions received, it will be for the public good to establish another Presidential Commission of Inquiry to look into alleged unlawful interference with and/or confiscation of private property by former President Yahya Jammeh in the name of the State.
However, for several reasons including the need to avoid potential overlap in some areas of inquiry between the two separate commissions of inquiry, the Commission of inquiry into the alleged unlawful interference with and/or confiscation of private property is expected to be established after the completion of the work of the Commission of inquiry into the financial activities of public enterprises as regards their dealings with former President Jammeh. More details about the second Commission of inquiry will be shared with the public soon.
The Criminal Case And Detention Review Panel
I am pleased to report that the Criminal Case and Detention Review Panel has now completed the review of all cases under its purview. You will recall that the Panel was established by the Ministry of Justice and its membership drawn from this Ministry and various other organs under the Ministry of Interior including the Gambia Police Force, the Prison Service, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency etc.
The mandate of the Panel was to review and make recommendations to the Attorney General and Minister of Justice on specified categories of cases including criminal cases against current or former public servants, or criminal cases linked to a political activity. I have now received the final report of the Panel with its recommendations.
Over the past 3 months, the Panel has reviewed a total of 241 criminal cases involving 304 accused persons. Recommendations were made to discontinue prosecutions in 36 cases involving 86 accused persons on the basis of insufficient evidence. Currently, there are 208 people held in remand awaiting trial or the conclusion of trial for various offences including murder and rape. Convicts or remand prisoners with medically certified mental disabilities will be transferred from prisons to Tanka Tanka psychiatric hospital for appropriate treatment.
I wish to take this opportunity to thank all the members of the Criminal Case and Detention Review Panel through the Chair, Ms Oli Danso, Senior State Counsel at the Ministry of Justice, for all the hard work and dedication shown throughout this challenging task. They have had to work extremely hard under very difficult circumstances including on weekends to ensure that the task is completed in a timely manner.
Criminal Justice And Media Law Reform
Calls for expressions of interest from local law firms or counsel for a comprehensive review of our criminal justice law and procedure to bring it in line with international best practices shall be announced soon after consultations with the office of Chief Justice.
Work on media law reform has already started in consultation with Article 19 and the Ministry of Information and Communication Infrastructure. There will be a wider consultative process with stakeholders following these initial steps.
We intend to approach the criminal justice and media law reforms in phases bearing in mind the constitutional review process so that any changes in our criminal justice and media laws shall take into account the provisions of any proposed new constitution.
International Engagements
In our efforts to ensure that the international community including the United Nations continues to engage with and support The Gambia throughout this transition period, we attended the fourth annual session of the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission in New York upon their invitation. During the session, we thanked the international community particularly the United Nations, the African Union and Ecowas for standing by the people of The Gambia during the political impasse in December and January, and urged them to continue their engagement with The Gambia as it seeks to consolidate the peace in the country.
Many speakers, including senior officials of the United Nations, and the Permanent Representative of the sister Republic of Senegal hailed The Gambia as a shining model that the rest of the world could learn from about peaceful political transitions. They urged continued rapid financial and other support to The Gambia.
On the margins of the Peacebuilding Commission session, we also held bilateral meetings with senior UN officials including the Administrator of the UNDP, the Rule of Law Office, the Office of Legal Affairs, and the Peacebuilding Support Office which has already disbursed to The Gambia through the UNDP country office an initial amount of $3M to kick start support for the security sector reform and our transitional justice processes including the establishment of a national Project Board under the leadership of the Ministry of Justice. In all our meetings, we emphasized the need for continued engagement with the Government and people of The Gambia and for rapid support in translating this democratic victory of the Gambian people into concrete economic advancement for ordinary Gambians.
In terms of strengthening capacity and enhancing resources within the Ministry, I am pleased to report that, with the assistance of our development partners especially the UNDP and the Turkish Government through its embassy in The Gambia, the Ministry will soon be able to provide every State Counsel at the Ministry with a desktop computer. The Ministry has meanwhile installed internet service in the whole of the Ministry for all counsel.
These two latest developments are absolutely essential in the provision of legal services in the 21st century. It will help to drastically reduce the time for the preparation of cases, provide counsel with greater and faster access to legal research tools, and maximize efficiency. Plans are also underway to introduce modern electronic case management systems, and electronic record keeping and sharing platforms to facilitate communications and the efficient management and retrieval of information within the Ministry.
These developments will be complemented by training inside and outside the country in the use of these tools. This will ensure that the Ministry provides services of the highest professional quality to the public and Government and advance our quest for equality of arms between the public and private bar.
Lastly, it is important to note that in order to stem the historically high attrition rate at the Ministry, retain its current crop of staff, as well as attract other experienced counsel from the private bar, the conditions of service and remuneration for counsel at all levels must be improved. As a result, we had set up a taskforce to look into the conditions of service of counsel at the Ministry. The taskforce has now submitted its report and recommendations to me for action. It is our hope that the conditions of service for counsel at the Ministry will be improved soon.
Allow me to add however, that with improvements to the working environment and conditions of service of counsel at the Ministry, there will also be a corresponding expectation that counsel will provide services of the highest professional standard to the public and Government. In this regard, we intend to introduce, at an appropriate time, an internal performance appraisal system within the Ministry to ensure that professional standards are kept at a consistently acceptable level, and to also encourage discipline and accountability in public office.
Very reassuring and highly professional in application, substance and outreach.
Mike Scales, I cast my vote in agreement.
Not very. Perfect on the freezing of the assets and the discovery of some more. He should keeping searching for more assets. There is far more to be discovered. He is not even half-way through. However, in other areas, the statement is Very elusive and economical of the truth. A government should not be run with friends like a family firm. Instead of praising someone for betraying public trust, why not investigate him and let the full force of the law be applied. The Gambia has been going through selective justice, or should i say selective injustice, for far too long. It seems noting much has changed.
I think the honourable thing to do is just resign, there are better Gambian Lawyers out there who can move justice for all without fear or favour. please just go in order to keep your integrity.
I think if Gambians keep stopping the bus every 5 minutes, we will never get to our destination. This man’s vision, organisation and road map exudes and inspires much needed confidence and public information. I think he should be cut some slack on the other issues.” Let he who is perfect caste the first stone.”
To err is human, To forgive is divine.
Being human, I sure will not Cast the First Stone. It may boomerang.
It will be acceptable if the Minister of Justice said. “I find the conduct of NIA 9 co-prosecutor, Mr Tambadou unprofessional and unacceptable, and I welcome his resignation. I have asked the justice ministry to further investigate all matters relating to his meeting with the wife of the NIA 9 first accused for disciplinary action. Finally on this matter, there must be no question in the minds of all Gambians that we will uncover the truth and justice will be done. I take full responsibility for the actions of the prosecution team. It is with deep regrets that I must tender my resignation as the Minister of Justice with immediate effect.” That will be honorable. What he said was some self serving patronizing……….BS. Totally unacceptable, devoid of contrite and assumes that Gambians are unsophisticated fools. I am sure that most Gambians can see through the charade. This man Yankuba killed and tortured. He raped. He stole. His family lives comfortably in Senegal enjoying all the blood money he took out of Gambia, and this is your true feelings about the alleged crimes and case against him. It’s just not right. Mr Barrow fire your Justice Minister. We don’t trust him.
God Bless The Gambia.
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING ABOUT THE TAPE AND THE TAMBEDU BROTHERS VS. MAI FATTY AND UDP SUPPORTERS.
Those who applied for a Permit to Celebrate the Achievements of their Party Care and Should be given the Permit to Celebrate. I am not an advocate for the Suspension of the Constitution. However, to be on an Equal Playing Field, the Referee, Mr. Barrow and his Lines men, Mr. Ousainou Darbo and Mai Fatty Plus the Overseer of the Vice Presidency might as well Declare a State of Emergency and Rule by Decree. I happen to believe that at the moment, Certain Communities and fellow Gambians are being treated as if they are in a State of Emergency and that they are “Culprits”. Do we as Gambians really want to send out the message to all Gambians and the World that One Ethnic Group’s Blood and Lives are more Precious and Valuable than the rest of the other Gambians’ Blood and Lives? Do we, Gambians mean to send the message that Solo Sandeng’s, (May his soul rest in peace as Should others before and after him who died in Gambia by natural or non natural causes), death is more Significant than all others in the Gambia? Who is Speaking for them? Those Unlike the Chosen Solo Sandeng need to be given Equal Treatment by the Authorities in the Gambia and their Supporters. We are as a Nation State gravitating ever so Delibrately toward the Abyss in a Collective “Burial Wish Basket” of Half-Truths and Deceit of the Lowest and Highest Order. Unfortunately, the Deceit is coming from those who ought to know better, but they choose Not to. At what Price, Gambia? The Fast and Loose talk about the Alleged Tape on which One Tambedu, the “brother of the JUSTICE MINISTER with one of the NIA Nine’s wife” has been made into a “Crown Jewel” just like the Hyped up Case of One Ms. Badjie who was Posted at the Gambian UN Mission in New York generating “Dust” of Incomprehensible Opposition. The only thing Significant or “Peculiar” about her Case was the fact that she is Jola. Period. She is Gambian, a Qualified Civil Servant in the Foreign Service, yet because of her Ethnic Affliation and little of all else, she was Set Upon by the UDP SUPPORTERS. The most over whelming reason why she was maligned, dragged into the mud and called all names and Insults in ways Civilized Society would not allow itself to engage in was her Ethnic Affliation and unproven Party Affliation. The Case Forced the “Semi-reclusive” Foreign Affairs Minister, Ousainou Darbo to Address his UDP Party Base that had “Turned” Nasty against him. The disappointing aspect of that 2:00 AM Address Mr. Darbo made is that the Minister of Foreign Affairs decided to Address a Sub-section of the Gambian People. Mr. Foreign Affairs Minister Made Plea to The UDP PARTY FAITHFUL LOCALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY by Directing, Focusing and Tailoring his Message in a Manner Apologetic to the Agrieved Party or Club Members, (UDP FAITHFUL), Not to All Gambians. If the Message was intended for the Gambian Citizens as a Whole, it would have been made in English or in the Local Gambian Languages the Minister of Foreign Affairs is Well Versed in, that is, he is known to Speak well. BUT that was not to be. Why, that was not the Case. He Spoke in Mandinka only as if Everyone in the Gambia Speaks and Understands Mandinka. Which is not the Case. Mr. Foreign Affairs Minister was more Concerned with Repairing his Image and Character with the UDP PARTY BASE, and Not with the General Citizenry and Voters of the Gambia. Back to the NIA NINE’S CASE. I am not Surprised the Case hit a Road Block in a manner of Speaking. From The Initial Arrest and Detention of What is now known as the NIA NINE, Legal and Due Process Issues were Raised as they should have been raised by many but Significantly, the Minister of Justice, Baa Tambedu. The NIA NINE were Ordered Arrested and Detained Not by the POLICE OR MINISTER OF JUSTICE after an investigation and gathering of Evidence for Prosecution. On the Contrary, NIA NINE were Ordered Arrested by the Minister of the Interior, Mai Fatty, with the Self-serving Contention that “he acted inorder to Prevent the Accused from Fleeing from Gambia”. These are people who could have left the Gambia with former President Yaya Jammeh or by themselves if they had any intention of Fleeing, but they did not. Infact, Yankuba Badjie and some of the others Arrested and Detained under the Order of Mai Fatty were under the employment of the UDP Led Government when Mai Fatty took the Law into his Hands and Ordered their Arrest without Consultation with the Relevant and Designated Authorities, the Minister of Justice, Baa Tambedu and Yankuba Sonko the then CDS of Police (an individual not unlike CDS Kinteh of the Army who both Served in the Jammeh Government for Years at Top Positions of Decision Making and are still in the UDP LED REGIME). Why no Outrage Directed at this Clear and Ongoing Miscarriage of Justice?That is for another time. For now, it is important that Gambians be reminded that the Unconstitutional, Legal Crisis and Lack of Due Process that was Unilaterally Exercised by the Minister of the Interior, Mai Fatty, Compromised and Virtually Rendered the NIA NINE’S CASE, A POSTER CHILD AND PRECEDENT SETTING CASE OF “FRUITS OF THE POINSONOUS TREE DOCTRINE.” Under this Rule Evidence that is the direct result or Immediate Product of Ilegal Conduct on the part of an Official is Inadmissible in a Criminal Trial Against the Victim of the Conduct (or other person in Standing). The Culprit (s) Responsible for this State of Affairs is Non other than the Minister of Interior, Mai Fatty’s Unilateral Behavior which Aggrevated and Continued to Bedevil the Justice Minister and Jurisprudence in this Case and others in the Gambia. If anything, Baa Tambedu and his brother have been attempting to Salvage the “Fruits of the Poisonous Tree Doctrine” or Rule that the Minister of the Interior Mai Fatty Set in Motion when he as usual took the Law into his Hand and Ordered the Arrest and Detention of the now Known NIA NINE. The allegations of a Crime is Not Proof of Guilt and yet most Commentary and Statements about the NIA NINE’S CASE were and are made in a Manner as if they are Guilty and Needs to Proof their Innocence. If Gambia Operates its Jurisprudence with a Jury Trial System, it would be Potentially impossible to Select or Panel an Impartial and Untainted Jury of their Peers. As a matter of Principle and more Significantly, Due Process, the Tambedu brothers are not Guilty of anything, Except the “Appearance of Misconduct”. If the one of the Tambedu brothers on the Tape takes the High Road of Integrity and Ethics and resigns, what more does the Detractors and “Head hunters” want from Baa Tambedu? He is a Jurist who has Stood for Justice, Not Just the Appearance of Justice. Baa Tambedu has demonstrated an Ability and Willingness to be Transparent and Accountable. He also demonstrated to the Gambian Citizens early on his position as Minister of Justice that as a Jurist, he is willing to Confront those in Power just as he would the average Gambian. He and his brother are the least of the Gambias’ Current Regime Rulers of Ousainou Darbo, Mai Fatty and Adama Barrow’s loosing Sleep Over. Most Gambians with a Clear Conscience and Objectivety Support and Approve the Diligence, Work and Attention to Detail the Minister of Justice Applies to his Difficult Task. Let’s not Complicate any further. A Compromised and Tainted Case was Thrusted Upon Baa Tambedu and later his Brother and Co-Counsels by One Mai Fatty, the Minister of the Interior, Yet, No Outrage is Directed at The Minister of the Interior, the Culprit of “the Fruits of the Poinsonous Tree”. No Calls for his Resignation or Call for Charges Against him have been made. The Minister of the Interior, Mai Fatty has Engaged in Similar Unilateral Acts or Behavior Since been Appointed as a Member of the UDP LED REGIME OF ADAMA BARROW. LET’S HOPE MAI FATTY DOES NOT “BITE” INTO ANOTHER HIGH PROFILE CASE AND CREATE ANOTHER LEGAL DILEMMA FOR THE PROSECUTION AND THE GAMBIAN PEOPLE. LET THE TAMBEDU BROTHERS OR BAA TAMBEDU SALVAGE WHAT MAI FATTY “POINSONED”, SO THAT THE GUILTY ARE PUNISHED AND THE INNOCENT FREED.
Let’s get some things straight:
1. No one has been denied a permit to celebrate the achievements of their party. Any claims to that effect is untrue and misleading. The permit refusal and subsequent government statement was in respect of July 22nd celebrations. The Police statement made it unambiguously clear that the APRC will not be permitted to celebrate the birth of their party on July 22nd, when their investigation showed that it was registered on the 23rd August.
The APRC is guilty of deception if they applied for a permit to celebrate the birth of their party on July 22nd, and provision of deceptive or false information on any application forms, anywhere in the world, will lead to rejection of the application.
2. Lawyer Ousainou Darboe is putting on “two hats” in government (Foreign Minister & UDP leader) and he has every right to conduct any official/unofficial function, either as a minister or party leader. On that unfortunate occasion about the posting of a female Foreign ministry employee abroad, Mr Darboe chose to address a section of his party militants (and those who claim to be UDP) active in a WhatsApp group, who were making statements, comments or utterances that may have gone beyond what is acceptable to their leader.
He has every right to address them, to clear the air first (which he did), and remind them about their duties and how to channel their concerns to him or the party. No problem at all and no conflict of interest or partisanship.
3. The late Solo is not special in anyway except that he lost his life for standing up for what he believed, and I’m sure many will agree with that, but he is special because he is the only victim that the criminal regime of Yaya Jammeh has openly acknowledged to have killed. Yaya Jammeh himself admitted that he died under what he callously and cold-bloodedly called interrogation.
So with a body, a death certificate and open confessions of the suspected killers, it is right for the government to speedily arrest, charge, detain and prosecute the suspected killers. There is no preference or special status of the victim here. No other cases of deaths, suspected deaths and disappearances are as clear cut as the Solo Sandeng case.
4. You may not be an APRC Member, but everytime since I noticed you on this blog, all you have done is to disparage the Coalition government and hold brief for the criminal APRC regime. That’s makes you an apologist of Jammeh and APRC, and the worst type, as you can’t even bring yourself to admit the truth: that people did not die of “unnatural” causes. They were killed by your hero and his sadistic government.
Sometimes, I wish we can just be OBJECTIVE and start taking position that is in the best interest of our beautiful country. We may not agree, but at least let us try to be equal opportunity “Gambia” lover. For me it’s about country not Barrow, not Jolla, not APRC, not Yahya and not politics. I just want us ALL to get along and build this our great country for our children.
God Bless The Gambia.
Lawyers and Judges and Justice Ministers, abide by the highest code of conduct/ honour; We recall when Mr Jammeh’s petition was lodged at court, The Superior court Judge, who was also the Minister of Justice, rescued himself from hearing the petition because he was mentioned in the petition. This must have been a very hard decision to make because of his appointment by The President. Nonetheless, he made the right call despite considerable personal risk.
Justice Minister Tambadou’s relation, rescued himself from this unfortunate position, by tendering his resignation. Minister Tambadou, tendered his resignation to The President, but the President refused to accept. To my mind, all have acted/responded to their conscience and acknowledge protocol followed by their profession. This is immensely reassuring and gratifying.
This only leaves the discussion about the Justice Minister’s road map. I can understand why President Barrow took courage to refuse the resignation. The road map, ticks all the boxes and exudes professionalism with ambition. Of course there are always others who can fill these “large” shoes. But I think they are few and far between. One hopes The Minister of Finance can follow this lead and let us see and read his road Map. That should also make very interesting reading.
Mike, I was not aware the Justice Minister tendered a resignation and Mr Barrow did not accept. Is this a rumor or fake news? If this is true, Mr Barrow made the wrong decision by not accepting his resignation. Baa Tambadou in my opinion understands the rules and responsibilities of leadership. If he chose to resign obviously that is the right decision. If he didn’t, his boss should help him by forcing him out. On the issue of filling those big shoes. The list of suitable untainted and hugely talented candidates in the Gambian legal community at home and abroad is huge. God Bless The Gambia.
A very clear and informative update from the Justice Minister. I hope other ministries follow suit and release statements to update the nation on their activities and progress made towards realising policy objectives periodically. Kudos to MOJ for taking the lead.
It is good to know that Minister Tambedou offered to step down by tendering his resignation, though I don’t see any reasons for that….. but what I do know? Perhaps, mere relationship with individuals who behaved inappropriately, whether in public office or not, is reason enough to step out of public office. Now that the President has rejected the minister’s resignation offer, which he is entitled to do, I hope the matter will be laid to rest and the officials allowed to carry on with the enormous task at hand.
I agree with Mike: we should not attempt to stop the bus every 5 minutes if we want to achieve our transition goals. And we should be wary of attempts to create confusion, division and suspicion within our ranks to derail the transition process we have embarked upon, by none other, than the very people (or their spouses, families & friends) against whom our efforts to seek redress and justice for the regime’s numerous victims are aimed or directed at.
I don’t know about you, but the actions of Mrs Ndoura Jawara Badjie, which is nothing but an attempt to divide, sow suspicion, disrupt and derail the process of justice, rather than lead us to calling for resignations, should bring us closer together to support the Justice Minister in what he is doing.
The actions of this woman and her associates or helpers, is devilish and ill intentioned. The minister should carry on, otherwise, these people will “win”, and who knows what such a “victory” will lead to. That’s my humble view.
Mrs Badjie intent is clear, to sow seed of discord and confusion in an effort to undermine the prosecution case. But that is not the point. The issue is the conduct, responsibility and responses of our public servants when confronted with adversaries. Can we trust their judgement. Can we be confident that they will act in the People’s best interest in a professional manner by their actions and utterance. Will they open themselves up for blackmail and will they be tempted by a beautiful EVIL woman with the hope for romantic quid pro quo. I find Sherriff Tambedou unprofessional and unfit to serve at this time based on his lack of personal discipline and reckless disregard for legal professional ethics and by proxy Baa Tambedou.
I do not have any personal feelings about the case, except that as a Gambian we must set the stage for transparency starting NOW. This case will set the stage for Mr Barrow’s legacy. Those saying let’s move on must surely understand the psychological and moral implications of this case. Mr Barrow must get this right. Mr Baa Tambedou if you love Gambia and wish to preserve you great pedigree. Do the right thing. You know what that is.
God Bless The Gambia.
We know what Mr Sheriff Tambedou’s “crime” was. He has taken personal responsibility and resigned. What is Mr Baa Tambedou’s “crime”, that require him to resign? I would like to seek some help here.
Justice minister was implicated in the tape. That “left to my brother (BA Tambadou) alone, the NIA operatives will not be proscecuted for the murder of SOLO SANDENG”. Furthermore, not only is Sheriff Tambedou in the prosecution team but also has a privileged access to his brother. Either they should have foreseen this conflict of interest and avoid both having impact on the case or we can conclude that both have similar opinion on the the case. The justice minister did the right by tendering his resignation. President Barrow used his prerogative to keep him in the cabinet. A decision I find difficult to understand but which I respect.
I am satisfied though, that many people called for the justice minister’s resignation and he followed that call. It also pleases me, that what ever may come people will take note that many of Barrow supporters do indeed reserve a critical affinity to the cabinet and are ready to hold the govt to account. Lest we be accused of cherry picking.
Thanks Kinteh (Kemo) for the intervention, but I’m still not convinced of Baa’s crime requiring resignation. Baa and Sheriff are brothers and naturally, they will have privileged access to each other, but that shouldn’t affect their chances of securing jobs in the country, even in the same offices, unless it can be shown that their relationship will affect their productivity or professionalism.
As far as we are informed, Baa did not appoint Sheriff, nor does he communicate to the prosecution team through him. We have no evidence that they discuss this case outside of the team and the decision to meet the defendant’s representatives was not his, though he was briefed.
Sheriff has accepted making a certain statement during that meeting, but he said this was his personal opinion formed from the public statement his brother made on the NIA9 case. And if that is the case, won’t it be unfair for us to call for Baa’s resignation because his brother formed a certain opinion, perhaps an erroneous one, based on his (Baa’s) public statement?
I have not hesitated to criticise the Barrow Administration before and will not hesitate to do so now, but I think a mountain is being made out of an ant hill here. Seriously, there is nothing here and President Barrow is right to refuse the resignation, in my view.
We will never have established the mindset of Sheriff Tambedou had this recording weren’t made public. Likewise we will likely not find out for certain if Baa Tambadou concur with his brother on the demerits in proscecuting the NIA 9. What is clear is sheriff himself and the BAR association faulted him for his conduct- even likening it to obstruction of justice. Since a clear hindrance of justice is suspected and perceived, the minister of justice has two options. 1. Institute an enquiry and thoroughly bring light into the role of Sheriff and the wider prosecution team, to establish if they are infact infiltrated by Jammeh henchmen through corruption or blackmail;
Or 2. The Tambadou brothers resign and thus enable a fresh start with credibility. Their credibility was punched with this recording as it revealed far reaching contempt of Sheriff Tambedou towards Barrow administration. Since credibility is the singular essential commodity in such high profile job as justice minister, the noble and moral consequence was for Baa to resign. Which he did. And should have been embraced. But we can live with the rejection of resignation. But it also leaves Baa Tambadou wounded and prone to blackmail. That can undermine his effectiveness as justice minister. Let’s hope not and hope that the brothers learned a bitter lessons about Jammeh and cronie’s conning machinations. He now got a second chance.
I total disagreed with Emmanuel one shouldn’t resign for allegations against him/her without any actual prove. This country still need minister Tembedou.
Should we therefore get back on the bus…at least to the next enforced stop ? Despite what some would have you believe/ Gambia is a small close knit community of struggling souls>>>let us try to do better for their sakes. Perfection is something to aspire to. Common sense will do for the time being.
We are not to get off the bus anywhere. We are just to make sure we have the most professional driver/s at the wheels. We also expect to hear some plausible announcements from the driver/s in the loudspeaker, with respect to the good roads they should be riding on with us. The minister’s brother’s conduct is a very serious breach of public trust.
When I get intoxicated after a long day of hard work, and the party gets a bit out of my hands, that’s human and an un-Godly conduct, I just need to repent with hope God is in charge, and therefore won’t need to cast a first stone. But, if I get intoxicated with expensive ‘hard’ drinks at the expense of the of the ordinary citizen, then commit atrocities against their livelihoods, that is the devil in person; and ping!, I should be willing to cast the first stone to chase the devil away never to take the controls again. Let ruthless killers, rapers, torturers and robbers of properties of Gambian citizens face those stones to cast. In my view, there is absolutely no need for religious leaders to be drawn into the process finding justice for the masses of victims of the atrocities committed against Gambians, by a demonic barbarian and circle of enablers who have ravened the lives of Gambians for 22 thorny years.
…….. not getting off the bus…..
“We are not to get off the bus anywhere.” The comment indeed stays intact in its initial form.
Lol. Don’t forget your Oyster card; In London you can wait hours for a Bus>> then all of a sudden 3 come along at the same time; Probably driven by a smiling Gambian.
Nanga Deff, naka subersey…supra mansa; Pardon my French. !! Happy Sunday/
Their is no point to pardon your Portuguese. I am sure you got just a tourist guide for it.
Jaamaksalaam rek from supra mansa.
Come on, the probability to wait for a bus for hours is greater in Paris where workers’ strikes are almost on a weekly basis. To be real, I think the Gambian British Bus drivers are more punctual than the native Brit British. Gambian-British bus driver in London late in service?? Ca c’est pas possible mon amie. It must be because his Brit British boss with the ‘keys’ is at home with a bad cough.
Some of my best friends are Gambian Cockney’s. O’right matey’
I just heard FIFA are in big trouble again ?
They have awarded the 2022 world cup to so called islamic state.
Do you mean some logs turned crocs in the Thames?
Hey!, Fifa?? They have done the worst so many times in their history. They will end up privatised soon.