Fatou Jaw Manneh's Trial 

FOROYAA Newspaper (Serrekunda) 
NEWS
27 June 2007 
Posted to the web 27 June 2007 

By Fabakary B. Ceesay

  Mr. Basiru Gassama, the second prosecution witness (PW2) in the trial of journalist Fatou Jaw Manneh, on Monday 25 June was cross examined by the defence counsel. The case was heard at the Kanifing Magistrates Court presided over by Magistrate Buba Jawo. 
  In his evidence in Chief, Mr. Gassama said he is the security manager at the Sun Beach Hotel and Resort and has been working there since 1993. He said he never travelled out of the country from 1993 until 2005. Gassama said since 1994, three presidential elections were contested through the ballot box which were won by Yaya AJJ Jammeh. Mr. Gassama said development under the two regimes is not comparable, that is, the present regime and the former PPP government in terms of development. He cited the development projects such as higher education and free education for girls. He also mentioned road constructions, such as the Kombo Coastal Road, Farafenni-Laminkoto road, the Kerewan Bridge and roads in Bakau. 
  He noted that he does listen to news and reads news on newspapers and on the internet inorder to know what is happening in and outside the country. He added that he watches GRTS, adding, "Which we never dream of having"; that this was brought by the present government. 
  During cross examination, defence counsel Lamin S. Jobarteh asked the accused whether he has travelled to Basse via mandinaba. Mr. Gassama responded that he did not travel from Mandinaba to Basse during the past three months. He added that he does not know the road condition there. When asked about the road condition from Sukuta to Westfield Mr. Gassama said he cannot recall the last time he travelled from West Field to Sukuta. "What about Barra to Amdalaye", he stressed that the road from Barra to Amdalaye is in a very good state. When asked about Tipper Garage to the Serrekunda Police Station. Gassama responded that he cannot tell the condition of the Tipper Garage road. When he was asked to comment on roads in Bakau, he said since APRC came to power, many roads were constructed in Bakau. Gassama indicated that he was appointed as security manager in 2000. 
  At this point, the court warned Mr. Gassama to stand properly in the box and stop idling about in the box. 
  When he was asked to produce his appointment letter before the court, Gassama started shouting on top of his voice. He was visibly raging with anger and thus retorted, "I cannot produce any appointment letter, that is confidential and my earning, I can produce my Identity card as a security manager, I will not do it by any means." 
  At this point, Mr. Gassama was sweating form head downwards until his green gown (kaftan) was soaked with sweat. He was turning about in the witness box until he knocked down the two holy books (bible and the Quran), on the floor and he kept on shouting. 
  Defence Counsel Lamin Jobarteh, kept on telling the prosecution and the court to warn the witness. When Jobarteh put it to him whether he had once been admitted at the Psychiatric Clinic at Campama in Banjul, Mr. Gassama responded angrily by shouting back "I am 100% well, your worship, he is provoking me, I will not allow my integrity to be tarnished in public like that. I was never at Campama, this is an insult. I will not take this kind of questions." At this juncture, the court decided to adjourn the matter. 
  The first witness, the NIA officer (name withheld) was also called by the defence for re-examination. The NIA man said he never saw the accused person speaking to anybody with regards to the matter. He said he never heard her utter any seditious statements, but that she admitted granting seditious interview. He added that the accused has not mentioned any names or any person to whom she granted the interview to, but that she did mention the newspaper. He said he cannot show the court where she did mention the name of the newspaper on the exhibits. The NIA man admitted that he did not ask her to put it in the statement, the name of the newspaper she granted the interview to. He said he already knew the name of the newspaper which is the Independent. He was asked to read out the portion which it was indicated, Independent. 
  He read as thus, "now living in the United States, Fatou's fiery zeal with the pen could still be gleaned from her despatches to the Independent." He said the word "despatches" could be an interview, he added despatches means, "Sending something from one place to another." He later admitted that there is nothing on Exhibit B that says independent newspaper. "I am putting it to you that the word despatches is completely different from an interview." He answered in the negative. The NIA man said interviews are in different forms and "that is either by telephone, answering of questionnaires and one to one interview or facial." Counsel Jobarteh put it to him that the most he did was to read part of Exhibit A, but that he did not know anything before the court. The NIA man admitted that when he was in a questioning and answering session with her, he was not taking notes. Jobarteh said, "That shows how inefficient you are." 
  At this point, there was an objection from the state counsel, E.O. Fagbenle, that the question was meant to embarrass the witness and it is also an insult. He said the counsel is annoying the witness by posing such questions. Defence Counsel, Jobarteh cited the law to back his question. He maintained that the court needs to know the credibility, efficiency and fitness of the witness to the matter he is testifying to. Magistrate Jawo over-ruled his question and said "the question should not be allowed," Jobarteh posed another critical question; that the NIA officer has failed in his duty, but the court ruled that the witness is not bound to answer that question as well, but the witness responded and said he did not fail in his duties. 
  Jobarteh said, "Am putting it to him that he is an untruthful witness and that she never told him that she had granted an interview to anybody neither a newspaper." The NIA officer stressed that he is truthful, but admitted that Fatou Jaw Manneh never told him the name of any person or newspaper to which she granted the interview to. 
        
  
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  Copyright © 2007 FOROYAA Newspaper. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). 

"True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice." Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
       
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