A magistrates’ court in The Gambia Tuesday convicted a woman for calling the country’s leader Adama Barrow a mother-fucker.
Mariama Naba Darboe, a Sweden based Gambian, was ordered to pay D40,000, equivalent to £445 or spend one month in prison.
Darboe, who has since paid off the fine, has denied calling Mr Barrow a mother-fucker but admitted to jokingly calling him a stupid president earlier this year whilst she was traveling in a vehicle full of passengers.
However, three witnesses who were travelling in the vehicle with her, have testified under oath to hearing her use the term to describe the president.
Senior Magistrate Isatou Jallow of the Brusubi Magistrates’ Court said while the F word has different connotations or meaning based on geographical location or jurisdiction and context among peers, it is generally regarded as offensive, vulgar and carries a negative connotation, regardless of context in The Gambia.
She said the presidency is the highest office in the country and the heavy fine was proportionate to the offence.
Insulting the parents of the president and government officials is now a criminal offence in The Gambia and offenders are liable to heavy fines or imprisonment.
