*Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue*

*Issue No.23/2006, 27-29 March, 2006*

*Editorial*

*WHO ARE THE ADVISERS OF THE PRESIDENT?*

President Jammeh addressed the Nation on Friday 24th March 2006 regarding
the alleged coup d'etat which is reported to have been foiled on Tuesday 21
st March 2006. This was the first appearance of the President after the
allegations became public knowledge.

One expected a solemn speech stating key facts as well as reiterating the
commitment to conduct fair investigation giving assurance that no innocent
person would be held indefinitely. One expected calls for Gambians to adhere
to the letter and spirit of the MOU signed by the political parties give and
the democratic process a chance.

Such a speech was necessary because of the fact that many people have been
arrested who are to be presumed innocent until they plead or are found to be
guilty. Prior to that what the public is interested in is the assurance that
there will be no victimization or vindictiveness. When justice is pursued
without victimization or vindictiveness verdicts are accepted in good faith
and public confidence in a system is enhanced.

The President should always bear in mind that he is talking to the nation
and not those who are against him alone. Consequently national addresses
should be different from addresses on political platforms. It does not help
the President's cause to threaten to punish without mercy or using the term
nonsense. What is needed in a time of uncertainty is reassurance of the
pursuit of justice under the law without fear or favour, affection or ill
will.

Foroyaa hopes that those who are involved in investigating the alledged plot
will carry out their duties without fear or favour, affection or ill will in
accordance with the dictates of the law. They should absolve those who are
not implicated with immediacy so that they can be released to join their
families. The quicker this is done the more they will contribute to the
promotion of justice and peace.

At this very moment, religious leaders, elders and people of good will
should visit the President in private to give their advice. A culture of
impunity can never lead to national stability. Only a culture of respect for
rights, tolerance, and magnanimity to opponents can do so. Just conduct pays
well while a government governs and after it has ceased to govern.



*HOW THE ALLEGED COUP PLOTTERS WERE ARRESTED*

*By Yaya Dampha*

Over 30 people were arrested for taking part in the alleged coup plot that
is said to have been uncovered late Tuesday evening. The head of the alleged
coup plotters is the former Chief of Defence Staff Col. Ndure Cham. Foroyaa
is reliably informed that army officers, intelligence agents and civilians
have been arrested and put under custody by the security forces. Those
arrested are, Major Sang Pierre Mendy, Commander of the Fajara Barracks,
Captain Muhammed Jah, Chief Clerk, PRO, Captain Bunja Darboe, Captain Pierre
Mendy, Commander of the National Guards, Captain Savage, Commander of the
Military Police, Captain Wassa Camara, Second in Command at the Military
Police, Lieutenant  Samba Bah of Yundum Barracks, Lieutenant Yaya N.S.
Darboe, RSM Alpha Bah, RSM Famara Jammeh, Sergeant Abdoulie Sanyang, Private
Lamin Sonko, Rtd. Col. Vincent Jatta, Rtd. Col. Mayor Abdoulie Conteh, Samba
Bah, former Secretary of State for the Interior, Abdoulie Kujabi former
Director of NIA, Daba Marenah, former NIA Director, Lamin Kassama, Security
Officer at Gambia Civil Aviation Authority, Kemo Balajo, Internal Operation
Commander at the National Intelligence Agency, Mr. Singhateh, Deputy
Director of NIA, Alieu Jobe Accountant General, Rife Diab a businessman and
M C Cham a long serving minister in the former PPP regime. The Inspector
General of Police, Ousman Sonko, and the Director of Immigration, Musa Mboob
and Secretary of State for Interior were called for questioning.

The family members reported that the arresting team mainly composed of State
Guards and Police Intervention Unit personnel who dehumanized the arrestees.


According to Captain Yaya Darboe's family members, he was later put in
chains and beaten before being carried away. Lai Conteh's neighbours said
the nature of his arrest was inhumane in that he was tied before being
carried away. Mr. Kemo Balajo's wife, who is said to be about eight months
pregnant, was said to have had a confrontation with the arresting team when
they started searching Balajo's house, looking for his military uniforms.
The members of the NIA normally wear military fatigues during such
operations. Mr. Balajo's wife could not bear the ransacking of their house.
She is said to have rushed in and come out with the military uniforms and
threw them at the officers.

RSM Alpha Bah is said to have been brutally manhandled. Sources said he was
tied and thrown inside a black American car. The two military police
commanders were also reported to have been handcuffed and carried away. Daba
Marenah's family said he was arrested on Tuesday night at his home by the
soldiers. Lamin Kassama, a security at the Civil Aviation Authority was said
to have been arrested at his home in Brikama Nema where he was handcuffed
and put in a military pickup on Wednesday morning. Captain Bunja Darboe was
said to be found in his house in Fajara while taking his breakfast. He is
said to have been handcuffed while the family members and neighbours stood
staring at the scene.

According to family members, MC Cham was arrested by 3pm on Friday at his
home in Banjul by a plain clothes officer and some armed military officers.

What is not clear is how advance was these people's ploy and what the
civilians arrested have to do with the chief of defence staff's alledged
coup d'etat.

It could be recalled that this is the seventh time that President Jammeh's
government has reported an attempt to overthrow it from within and outside
the army. The first was November 11 1994 which involved Captain Basirou
Barrow, January 27th 1995 was Sana B. Sabally and Sadibou Hydara, the
Farafenni attack, the Kartong attack, Dumo Saho and Co, Captain Landing
Sanneh and Alimamo Manneh and recently Chief of Defence Staff, Ndure Cham.

When contacted, the Army PRO, Lieutenant Ganno confirmed the arrests of the
above mentioned names. He said, "Our investigations are not still completed
so we cannot tell if all of the arrestees were actually partners in the
ploy." However, he failed to say how many were arrested in all.

The PRO said the meeting that took place on Friday 24th March at Yundum
Barracks was aimed at adjusting the security apparatus within the army. On
the coup leader, PRO Ganno said "As far as we are concerned, Col. Ndure Cham
is not apprehended. Our sources are that he is in Cassamance. He said that
efforts are being made to bring him back so that he can face justice. He
advised the general public to remain calm.



*Has PPP Withdrawn From NADD?*

*By Yaya Dampha*

Newspaper reports have it that the People's Progressive Party (PPP) has
withdrawn from NADD but Mr. Ganyie Touray, the Senior Administrative
Secretary and member of the Party Secretariat, totally disagrees. He walked
into our office with a statement countering what Mr. Yaya Ceesay, the PPP
Chairman, had told *The Point*. He described those statements of Mr Ceesay
as misleading. Below is a verbatim report of Mr Touray's contentions:

*The said meeting to which Alh. Yaya Ceesay is referring to have no legal or
moral right to withdraw the P.P.P. from NADD.*

*When the proposal was made by Alh. Omar Sey and seconded, I stood to
counter it. I told them that this decision can only be taken by the party
central committee the highest decision making body of the party. They wanted
to insist that we vote but I maintained my stand and some other members. And
I left the meeting for them to re-think as they will not have a Quorum to
continue the meeting. The secretariat is constitute of 17 members out of
whom 3 were considered to be non-members as they have not attended nor
participated in any of the party's activities for the past 3 years. These
are Dembo Jatta, Lamin Jombo Bojang and Lamin Darboe. It was a big surprise
to see these people all of a sudden attend this meeting, as I had not served
them with notice to the effect, being the secretary to the secretariat. They
came for a purpose. So a committee of 17 people if 8 were absent no decision
could and should have been taken. You need 2/3 of the members to be present
before a decision can be taken.*

*I also informed them that when the proposal for the formation of NADD was
made, the matter was referred to the Central Committee who made the
approval. This is on record and the minutes are available.*

*The records are with me and can be inspected.*

*In this-regard I wish to state as follows:*

*a) This is a gross violation of the normal administrative procedure adopted
by the party since its re-registration in 2001*

*b) The decision cannot be binding as it has not been approved or endorsed
by the Central Committee.*

*c) All major decisions of the process to establish NADD was endorsed and
approved by the Central Committee.*

*d) The party secretariat should not and cannot take such a major and
important decision without wider consultation with party organs and members.
*

*e) The secretariat in effect over stepped its mandate.*

* On the issue of Leadership, it should be a big shame for any member to
state 'that the party has no Leader but a Coordinator. I am saying that
there is no secretariat member or Central Committee Member who did not
appraise the good work of Omar Jallow (OJ) in defending the PPP and with its
subsequent re-registration. Some of them were ministers but have not said a
single word since 1994 but will always be praising OJ and praying for him.
All records are available. Even the letter from the former President Sir
Dawda Jawara is in the file. None of them have been contributing both
morally and financially but only OJ and Musa Drammeh when it comes to the
field it is OJ, L.J. Sonko, M.L. Touray, Bai Jage, Sambou Dibba, Ousman
Jarju and myself who were involved. This is a fact that cannot be denied by
any member.*

*It also has to be understood that all positions in the party are temporal
until such time that a congress is held. This includes the following: *

*Alh. Yaya Ceesay            Chairman B.L.X. Sanyang                -
Director & Bureau Ganyie Touray                  - Senior Administrative
Secretary*

*M.L.Touray                    Propaganda and organizing Secretary Dr. B.N.
Touray                - Co-ordinator Ousman Jarju                    -
Treasurer*

*Also, all members of both the Secretariat and Central Committee are
temporal. So in effect no person should question the formation of the
Secretariat and Central Committee as consultation was held and all agreed
upon.*

*Consultations are currently being carried out by members of the central
committee to see what action should be taken in relation to the statement
made by Alh. Yaya Ceesay.*

*Signed: Ganyie Touray, Senior Administrative Secretary.*

To obtain a balanced report, I approached Mr Yaya Ceesay to get his views on
the matter. I told him of Mr Touray's claim that there was no quorum at the
meeting he referred to in his statements. I wanted him to comment on this. I
also asked him to comment on the logic of his signing of the Memorandum of
Understanding of NADD only to abandon it at a later date and join a smaller
alliance. Mr Ceesay however said he would not answer my question on the
phone. When I asked him how I could meet him he said he would not tell me.
FOROYAA would be most willing to publish Mr Ceesay's views whenever he is
willing to do so.



*LIBERIAN AMBASSADOR TO LIBYA UNDER HOUSE ARREST*

*By Yaya Dampha*

The Gambian borned Liberian ambassador in Libya, Yankuba Samateh, alias
Yanks Smart is put under house arrest by the Arab Jamahiriyan Police.
Confirmed reports reaching this paper have it that Mr. Smart's arrest is
connected to the UN Security Council's advice resolution 1531 on those who
participated in wars and illegal trafficking of arms and blood diamonds.

Mr. Samateh (Smart) has served as Liberia's ambassador to Libya for many
years.

His arrest is received by the Gambian community in Libya with mix feelings.
Some Gambians who spoke to this reporter on telephone conversation said
Yanks Smart had served as a depository of their monies but had completely
failed them. They said he has more than two hundred thousand dollars with
him belonging to Gambians in Libya. Many of The Gambians there are skeptical
whether they will ever receive their money.





*DEMOLITION VICTIMS TAKES KMC TO TASK*

* *

*By Bubacarr K. Sowe & Fabakary B. Ceesay*

Businessmen, who were asked to demolish their canteens at the Latrikunda
Market on Thursday, have accused the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) of
having no regard for the welfare of their families.

The businessmen who claimed to be the bread winners of their families said
their present condition leaves much to be desired.

Jungkunda Jaiteh a cloth seller said they were given a twenty-eight days
notice, but surprising they were asked to evacuate the place before the
expiry of the 28 days notice. He added that they were threatened to leave or
to go to jail, or pay a sum of five thousand dalasis. "One of them told me
if you cannot bear it, then go back to the farms," Jaiteh said.

Fodayba Colley, another victim of the demolition exercise said he sat for
days without earning a single butut, considering his responsibility as some
one who is caring a family.

Other evacuees, Fafanding Susso and Babo Chatty explained that their shops
were involved in the fire disaster that ravaged some of the shops at the
Serrekunda Market last year. They said they are yet to recover from the
disaster. They added that this demolition will equally have serious effect
on their dwindling businesses.  Mawdo Biyai, who owned a fashion shop
complained of the negative effects the evacuation will have on them.

A victim who wished to remain anonymous said, "I am feeding a family of 30
members, and my shop is my only means of earning."

Efforts to reach the public relation officer of KMC at the time of going to
press however proved futile.

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