Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No.79/2007, 9-10 July,  2007
Editorial
BASIRU GASSAMA TEACHES THE ETHICS OF JOURNALISM
FOROYAA  AND THE JAMMEH GOVERNMENT CAN BOTH LEARN
In the 6 July 2007 issue of the  Daily Observer, Basiru Gassama, a 
prosecution witness in Fatou Jaw Manneh’s  trial, expressed his opinion that the 
reporter failed to stick to the tenets of  this noble profession. He said that the 
author’s manner of reporting is a  calculated attempt to defame and undermine 
his personality.
Basiru questions  the reporter’s impartiality and fairness. He is therefore 
teaching everyone  operating in the public domain in the public interest to be 
displaying  impartiality and fairness in the dispensation of their public 
duties.
Basiru  wrote “If the defense counsel asks annoying and provocative questions 
that I  think were irrelevant to the case, it is natural for me to shout. As 
a  journalist you are under obligation to stick to the relevant issues and not 
 petty things that have no place in the newsroom and even the court room.”
We  thank Basiru for his criticism. It is taken in good faith. He does not 
want his  personality to be injured and we have no intention to do so. The 
reporters are  schooled to report the truth of what had transpired in court in good 
faith in  the public interest. We will publish any facts that differ with our 
reporters’  if our attention is drawn to it.
It is important for Basiru to understand  that while he was in court to 
testify “what he knows about the Gambia’s  democracy and development under the 
leadership of President Yahya Jammeh” the  accused was in court to defend her 
personal liberty which was at stake. She also  is in need of impartial witnesses 
who have no partisan biases and who are there  to answer all questions 
truthfully in good faith in the public interest.
As  an expert in court procedure, we hope he was indeed helping the court to 
get to  the truth about Gambia’s development when he responded that he did not 
know the  state of the Soma Basse Road, Serrekunda Sukuta Road, Barra 
Amdallai, Sukuta  Jabang and others mentioned by the Counsel for the defence. We hope 
he would  also agree that while journalists should publish the truth in good 
faith in the  public interest; witnesses in court should also speak the truth 
in good faith in  the public interest. We are also bound by the same ethical 
principle if we are  all to live in peace and freedom.
His vituperative assertions against the  reporter have not been reciprocated. 
It is accepted as the exercise of the right  of self defense.
In our view, what safeguards ethics is the weapon of  criticism and self 
criticism. This is also what safeguards a democratic and  tolerant society. We 
hope the APRC regime will learn from Basiru that one can  fight words with words.
We also hope that the Jammeh Government will learn  from Foroyaa that those 
who scrutinize the behaviours of others should not be  intolerant of scrutiny.
We, therefore, hope that as the number of people  being released from 
detention increases, cases where government can combat words  with words will be 
removed from our courts and the laws providing for them from  our statute books. A 
government should be a servant and not a master or  commander. A government 
which behaves like a master or commander is always  intolerant to criticism and 
is very quick in causing the arrest, detention and  disappearance of its 
critiques.
Instead of stamping out criticism it  amplifies it to a global scale. Words 
are inflamed by words. Words are also  calmed by words. We hope Basiru’s cause 
to defend his personality has been  served by our words to acknowledge his 
concerns.
The road to eternal peace is  fair play and justice.

GOOD NEWS FROM MILE TWO PRISON
Vincent  Jatta & Other Detainees Breath “Air” Of Freedom
Rtd. Colonel Vincent  Jatta and some security detainees were released over 
the weekend, this paper has  reliably learnt.
According to our information, retired Colonel Vincent Jatta,  a former Chief 
of Defence Staff (CDS), sergeant Buba Mendy of the GNA, sergeant  Buba Jammeh 
of the State Guard, Ebrima Camara, former commissioner of Police in  Western 
Region, Ngorr Secka, a former acting Deputy Director General of NIA and  Baba 
Saho, a senior NIA operative, were all released over the weekend. 
When  contacted, the family members of the freed men confirmed the release of 
their  loved ones.
Jatta, Secka, Saho and Mendy were arrested shortly after the  foiled coup 
attempt last year.
Ngorr Secka, Baba Saho and Vincent Jatta were  charged with conspiracy to 
commit treason.
Sergeant Buba Jammeh was arrested  shortly after the freedom newspaper 
scandal while Sergeant Buba Mendy was  arrested shortly after the failed coup 
attempt in March. Both Jammeh and Mendy  were not charged. Ebrima Camara was 
arraigned in court for cattle  rustling.

IN THE TREASON TRIAL 
Detective Cham  Cross-Examined
By Bubacarr K. Sowe
In a cross-examination at the High  Court on Wednesday before Justice Yeboah, 
police detective Sergeant Lamin Cham,  a prosecution witness in the treason 
trial of the four civilian suspects in the  March 2006 foiled coup, told the 
court that he did not write a statement during  his investigation, but jointly 
wrote a report with the investigative  panel.
Asked by the defence counsel, Lamin S. Camara, as to how many  statements he 
obtained from the fifth accused, Tamsir Jasseh, Sergeant Cham said  “six.”
Cham added that the statements were put in the case file and were  tendered 
in court. He said Jasseh’s voluntary statement was taken at the State  Central 
Prisons in Mile 2 on April, 19, 2006 when his office, the Major Crime  Squad, 
was moved to Mile 2 and the cautionary statements were taken at the  National 
Intelligence Agency (NIA) headquarters.
Counsel Camara asked the  witness to tell the court which one is easier to 
write as an experienced police  officer, Cham responded that a cautionary 
statement is easier, because it  determines what charges are preferred against the 
accused.
He also said  sometimes a cautionary statement takes longer, depending on the 
case, noting  that Jasseh’s cautionary statement took longer time than the 
voluntary  statement.
Quizzed on what security reason compelled him to move the Major  Crime Squad 
to Mile 2, Cham said that the Major Crime Squad is a police station  situated 
at the last floor of the police headquarters in Banjul which has  numerous 
offices and taking the accused persons there was not suitable as some  of them 
might escape.
He told the court that he does not know how many  offices are at the NIA, 
saying that he was only there as part of the  investigative panel and he was 
number seven of that panel.
He also agreed  that the panel was conducting investigations at the same time 
as the cautionary  statements were taken, adding that Jasseh did not write 
his statement at the  panel but only explained and was taken to another room 
where his statement was  obtained. 
Put to him by Counsel Camara that since Jasseh was taken to  another room 
there could be more than one room at the NIA, Cham said he cannot  tell how many 
rooms are at the NIA but that they are more than one.
Asked how  many of them were relocated to the Mile 2, the witness said that 
three of them  were taken from the Major Crime Squad to Mile 2, out of the ten 
people at his  office.
Put to him that the Major Crime Squad never relocated, Cham said they  did, 
because they were the only three chosen by the authorities, adding that  there 
is a security rule regarding what one should know and what one should not  
know.
The witness was given three statements among Jasseh’s statements and  asked 
if Mile 2 was indicated on them, he said ‘no’.
Asked why that was not  indicated on the statements, Cham said Major Crime 
Squad is not Mile 2, and  Major Crime Squad is at the police headquarters in 
Banjul.
Questioned as to  who was the independent witness, he said, Babou Loum. He 
went on to stress that  Jasseh wrote Loum’s name on the first page and he (Cham) 
wrote Loum’s name on  the back page which Loum signed, but did not date it.
He added that there is  no column for date on the cautionary statement and he 
did not tell Loum to date  his own signature.
Continuing his cross-examination on the following day  Thursday, July 5, Cham 
said the name and address on another exhibit given to him  was filled by the 
accused person.
He added that the name of the independent  witness ‘Tijan Bojang’ was 
written by him, noting that Bojang is  literate.
Asked, why he decided to write for Bojang, Cham said it is not  compulsory 
for him to write but was only there to serve as a witness. Cham also  said the 
independent witness wrote the date against his signature. 
The  detective said the accused person was supposed to remove the Gamcel, 
Africel and  Gamtel switches at Abuko and made a sketch or a map of the location 
of the  switches.
Cham told the court that he has been in the police force for  sixteen years, 
adding that he never recovered the map, because it was handed to  Captain 
Wassa Camara who destroyed it after visiting the Abuko Earth  Station.
He also said that during the investigation, one Regimental Sergeant  Major 
(RSM) Alpha Bah said he photo-copied the map from the ex-Chief of Defence  
Staff, Colonel Ndure Cham.
The witness was asked why he never said this in  his evidence in chief, he 
told the court, “I remember it now.”
Put to him by  the defence counsel that Mustapha Lowe never said the fifth 
accused person and  the ex-Chief of Defence Staff went to Kubuneh in Casamance, 
Cham said he was not  in court when Lowe was testifying, but that he told him 
during the  investigation.
He added that Lowe’s statement was obtained by one of his  colleagues, Boto 
Keita or Abdoulie Sowe, but could not tell the court who  specifically recorded 
it.
The witness also told the court that he does not  know what the number of the 
mobile phone given to Lowe was, saying that the  mobile phone was taken by 
Colonel Ndure Cham.
He responded to the defence’s  claim that Jasseh’s Land Rover, which is 
alleged to have transported Colonel  Cham, is impounded by the investigative 
panel, adding that they have authority  to impound properties during criminal 
investigations.
Sergeant Cham was given  three exhibits containing the alleged marabout work 
and its charities, but said  none of the three documents contained Jasseh’s 
name.
He, however, said he  cannot speak Arabic but can read it and can read the 
Holy Quran as well but  cannot understand a verse from it.
Cham told the court that one of the  exhibits in Arabic contains names and 
numbers, adding that he cannot read it but  the marabout who authored it can.
The witness denied having said that Captain  Wassa Camara requested for the 
GRTS. He said what he told the court was Captain  Camara appealed to the panel 
so that their appeal can be broadcast.
He said  he watched the tape over the GRTS and about seven suspects appeared 
in the tape.  
Asked why seven people, since only Captain Camara requested for it, Cham  
replied that it was voluntary and nobody was forced. He said they were all  
cautioned in the presence of two independent witnesses and these witnesses never  
appeared on the television broadcast. Cham also said he did not appear on the 
TV  and does not know how many times it was broadcast.

UTG DEBATE ON  AFRICAN UNITY
By Isatou Bittaye
The University of The Gambia, in  collaboration with the Department of State 
for Higher Education, Research,  Science and Technology on Friday held a 
symposium on the “Unification of African  States into one Federation” at the 
School of Nursing in Banjul. The debate was  aimed at feeling the pulse of the 
students on the ‘Grand Debate’ on the  formation of a Union government in Africa.
Mr. Gumbo Ali Touray, Chair of  International Affairs at the UTG and who 
chaired the session, said some  considered the idea as necessary, some not yet due 
and others believed that  Africa should not be under one federation. 
Contributing at the symposium,  Mr. Demba Ceesay, Registrar of The Gambia 
College, said the founding leaders of  Africa had the dream of one Africa. Mr. 
Ceesay said the dream was not possible  but argued that it is now the time for 
African countries to be together. He  noted that it is important for Africa to 
unite but that the time has not come  yet. He said inorder to have one Africa, 
issues such as the health, economy,  political conflict; Education and 
Ecological problems must be addressed  first.
Dr. Abubacarr Senghore, lecturer at UTG, said that Africa inherited  
different colonial legacies. He added that in Africa there exists political  identity, 
ethnic belonging, ideological and religious backgrounds and that for  African 
unification to be realised these problems must be addressed. He argued  that 
issues of poverty, corruption, press freedom and human rights, rule of law  
and other crisis should be dealt with first before African unity; that crisis  
exist as a result of the ineffectiveness of different African organisations, 
the  absence of political will and that transparency and accountability must 
exist  for African Unity. Dr. Senghoe noted that the only solution for African  
unification is change of attitudes. 
Mr. Sheik Omar Faye, who represented the  Management Development Institute, 
said that African Union is feasible but  inorder for Africa to be united there 
must exist a unified language which should  be accepted by all. He said that 
there exists in Africa antagonism, lack of  tolerance, greed and selfishness 
which, according to him, are impediments for  economic growth. He noted that the 
issue of gender, security, patriotism, sense  of belonging and 
self-confidence must also be addressed. Mr. Faye added that  poverty, which is a global 
issue, must also be dealt with for African unity.  
Dr. Buhari Sillah, Head of Department for Economics and Management at UTG,  
noted that there exist different economic blocks in the world. Dr. Sillah added 
 that African countries cannot survive in the face of global economic blocks 
such  as U.S and E.U but can only do so when there is one continental economic 
block  for Africa. He noted that countries gain in trade because of the 
ability to  bargain and Africa is loosing in trade because they lack the bargaining 
power.  Mr. Sillah said that there is need for Africa to come together.
Dr. Omar Jah,  Head of Department for Humanities and Languages at UTG, began 
his contribution  by asking a question ‘Are we independent?’ . He said one 
must have an identity  before being able to unite. He said that people are now 
leaving in realities  that cannot be resisted. He added that for the 
unification of Africa, the shift  from leadership initiation to grass root initiation is 
important. Dr. Jah said  Africa has the right to be independent.
Dr. Lamin Sidibeh, Head of Department  for Social Sciences UTG, said the 
United States of Africa is long over due. He  noted that group coherence is needed 
and that the fundamental determinant  issues, such as behavioural aspects, 
passive values and expectations,  organisational and cultural pluralism should 
be addressed. He noted that Africa  unification is possible with determination 
and commitment. Dr. Sidibeh said that  it should start from the membership 
stage, then to the confrontation stage,  differentiation and collaborative stage. 
Mr. Kakai Sanyang, who represented  The Gambia Technical and Training 
Institute (GTTI), said political, economic,  military and cultural disparities are 
the stumbling blocks for African Unity. He  said that Africa can be united. The 
issue is now how to do it. 
Dr. Saja  Taal, a Political Science lecturer at UTG, said African unification 
is  inevitable but the will of the people must be taken into account. He 
added that  there exists the intellectual, illiterate and poor groups and the lack 
of  awareness. Dr. Taal noted that the issue of free movement and need for  
integration should be addressed. He added that for effective integration there  
should be continental infrastructural development. 
Halifa Sallah, a former  member of the Pan African Parliament and one of its 
advisers on the grand debate  indicated that the panellists will have a 
conceptual problem unless the debate  is contextualised.
He said the debate must either be based on the essence and  outcome of the 
grand debate in Accra or the general opinion of the  panelists.
Regarding the grand debate he clarified that the study  commissioned by a 
committee of seven heads of state on the union government and  United States of 
Africa has been debated in Ghana and consensus has been reached  to form both a 
government and a state; that they are now working on a time frame  and road 
map to be reviewed in the 10th summit in January 2008.
On the  general opinions, he observed that if religious, ethnic, racial, 
linguistic and  other differences, as well as poverty could be an obstacle to the 
founding of a  state there would not have been a single independent state on 
the continent  today. He said that the time was too short otherwise he would 
give examples of  the many continental instruments, institutions, policies and 
programmes that are  collecting dust which provides all the basis to found an 
African government and  state. He finally called for the continuation of the  
debate.

“GAMBIA HAS AN UNDER DEVELOPED FINANCIAL SECTOR” 
Sos  For Trade
By Bubacarr K. Sowe
Abdou Kolley, Secretary of State for Trade,  Industry and Employment has said 
that The Gambia has an under-developed and  undiversified financial sector.
Mr. Kolley made this remark on Monday, July  2, at the Kairaba Beach Hotel, 
while delivering a keynote address at a private  sector workshop on technical 
facilities from the Centre for the Development of  Enterprises (CDE) and the 
European Investment Bank (EIB).
“Enterprise  development in The Gambia remains a major challenge, mainly 
because of lack of  access to long-term financing. Recently, the World Bank’s 
Doing Business  Indicators identified access to financing as one of the major 
constraints in The  Gambia,” the SoS said.
Mr. Kolley said long term development financing for  productive investment is 
vital for economic development, but is largely  unavailable in the country, 
especially for small and medium enterprises.
The  Secretary of State said efforts are being geared towards creating a 
conducive  and stable operating environment and the Department of State for Trade, 
Industry  and Employment is finalising a national micro, small and medium 
size enterprise  policy to facilitate their development and enhance their 
contribution to a  sustainable economic growth and development.
The SoS said: “The sector has a  huge potential to serve as the engine of 
growth and to achieve the objectives of  Vision 2020. With limited employment 
opportunities in the public sector, coupled  with mixed fortunes in the 
productive sector such as agriculture, a-growing  number of Gambians are turning to the 
small enterprises for  employment.”

FOCUS ON POLITICS
THE 1981 POLITICAL  CRISIS
GAMBIA SUBMERGED IN RECESSION, DROUGHT AND  DEVALUATION;

WithSuwaibou Touray
In the focus column of the last issue, we have  published the Agreement 
between the Republic of The Gambia and the Republic of  Senegal concerning the 
Establishment of The Senegambia Confederation.
Let us  now pick up from where we stopped.
The Senegambia Confederation has now been  established. The Confederal 
parliament also met on Wednesday, December 29, 1983  in an extraordinary session at 
the request of President Abdou Joof. Mr. Momodou  Babucar Njie (BP), the 
Speaker of the Gambian parliament, was said to be  unanimously elected as Speaker 
of the Confederal parliament. Mr. Habib Thiam,  the speaker of the Senegalese 
Parliament was elected the Vice Speaker.
The  draft standing orders and the Budget which amounted to D4. million or 
256  million FCFA were examined and adopted by the SeneGambia Confederal 
Assembly.  
At this stage, the Confederation appeared to be in full swing. It had been  
two years since its declaration and signing. The second Anniversary had taken  
place in Banjul. President Abdou Joof received a tumultuous welcome in The  
Gambia, at the then McCarthy Square.
Sir Dawda who spoke first, said the  Confederation had become a political 
reality, since its inception, thus  demonstrating the will and determination of 
the two people to work for their  mutual advancement. He expressed his 
satisfaction that the basic political  institutions and administrative framework had 
been established and were working.  
For Sir Dawda, the success of the Confederation would depend on the manner  
in which it affects the socio-economic life of the people of the Senegambia;  
that it would be essential that the two countries which made up the  
confederation to improve their economy, both at the national and international  levels.
For the President of Senegal and the Senegambia Confederation, Abdou  Joof, 
he said the different signs of recovery noticed here and there were just  not 
capable of curing the symptoms of such a deep crisis, or of solving its  
structural effects. He expressed his dissatisfaction with the economic situation  
then and thus maintained that, “with every comprehensive challenge, they should  
find a comprehensive solution; and that it required a responsible political  
dialogue geared towards action”. President Joof added that by establishing the 
 diagnosis of the crisis without complacency, and by correctly measuring its  
extent, they should endeavour to win over the challenge on free movement of  
objects and things.
President Joof, however, did not mince words when he said  that the dialogue 
would be difficult but that they have “principles to defend  and values to 
safeguard which were the guarantees to all peoples for exercising  their national 
free will ..”
Regarding the economic and monetary union, Joof  said he “would like to say 
very clearly that his brother and friend Sir Dawda  would take all the 
necessary steps to ensure that this third year of the  confederation was resolutely 
devoted to fruitful negotiations on economic and  monetary issues”.
President Abdou Joof reminded the People that it was only  with stability and 
security that they could get to grips with the tasks of  economic and social 
development which they were confronted with. He then renewed  his trust in the 
armed and security forces who he said had given a good example  by their 
discipline and sense of honour.
THE ECONOMIC SITUATION
The  economic situation featured in both presidents’ speeches, but reading 
carefully  between the lines, one would notice that for President Jawara, the 
economy was  the priority. For President Joof, security took the centre stage as 
a prelude to  economic development. This was why he emphasized the 
international economic  order which, he opined, remained the backbone of the edifice of 
peace in the  world.
The economic situation or its improvement must of necessity take  centre 
stage for President Jawara.
The year 1984 was characterized by  drought which had reached unprecedented 
severity. The government of the Gambia  had to appeal to governments across the 
globe, as well as nationals for prompt  assistance to alleviate the 
difficulties. An estimated 290-300, 000 heads of  cattle died plus a similar number of 
sheep and goats. Even human beings had  severe difficulty in accessing 
drinking water in the rural areas of the Gambia.  Production of all kinds of crops 
according to records had fallen by 50%.
The  slowing down of the economy was felt by the ordinary people since 1983. 
It was  the taxi drivers who first cried loud in that year and were allowed to 
increase  fares from 30 butut to 50 butut. But the situation became so bad in 
early 1984  that government had to increase prices of everything, such as 
bread, fuel, rice,  cooking oil, fares, etc. Everything was blamed on drought and 
external factors.  According to official sources, the increase was due to the 
lack of fuel and  spare parts. In a research document published by the United 
Nations Industrial  Development Organisation (UNIDO), in Cooperation with the 
Gambia Government,  entitled “Investors Guide To The Gambia,” it is reported 
that the economy  experienced a down turn due to a combination of inadequate 
internal  factors.
According to the research booklet, it was indicated that GDP growth  slowed 
down to about 1.8 per cent per year and per capita income also declined  at the 
rate of about 1.6 per cent pear year; that most of the objectives of the  
First National Development Plan were subsequently revised and extended to cover  
1980/81; that those of the Second National Development Plan 1981/82/85/86 
proved  unrealistic as the economy had to face a combination of chronic budget 
deficits  due to the failure to diversity away from groundnuts. Deteriorating 
terms of  Trade as well as the mounting debt burden were also cited.
During this  period, according to the Sun newspaper, people called on 
government to stabilize  prices by taking into account the purchasing power of the 
working masses.
So  how did the PPP government wish to solve this crisis? A team of IMF 
experts were  invited on the 13 of January 1984 and had consultations with the 
government over  an aid package on the Gambia. Still according to the Sun, the 
whole thing was  shrouded in some kind of secrecy but that what was said was they 
were to help  cushion the effects of general economic malaise due to the 
successive  deterioration of the terms of trade and the high cost of imported  
fuel.
According to Babucar Gaye of the Sun newspaper, The Gambia started this  
negotiations with the IMF, as far back as August 1983 but due to the secrecy  
surrounding such missions, it was not possible to learn exactly whether a  
definitive package had been worked out for the Gambia or not.
But by 26  February 1984, the President revealed to the people in his address 
at a mass  political rally that the Gambian Dalasi had been devalued. He did 
not stop  there. He also said it has consequences. He then went on to inform 
the importers  to import less and to restrict themselves to items that were 
only necessary and  scarce in the country. He also defended the step as necessary 
because of the  gravity of the economic situation. He mentioned drought as 
the cause coupled  with the recession over the years. He then recommended the 
importation of  agricultural equipment to go side by side with the exportation 
of the country’s  product inorder to halt the flow of foreign exchange from the 
Gambia.
See  next issue for more on the politics of the 1980s.

SPEAKER ANNOUNCES  THE PAC/PEC SESSION
By Abdoulie Dibba
The Speaker of the National  Assembly, Hon. Fatoumata Jahumpa Ceesay, 
announced that a joint session of the  Finance and Public Accounts Committee and the 
National Assembly Select Committee  on Public Enterprises shall be convened 
from Tuesday 10 July to Thursday 30  August 2007 inorder to receive and consider 
annual reports and financial  statements of the Republic of The Gambia. Hon. 
Jahumpa-Ceesay made these  statements at the Assembly’s Chambers during a news 
conference held on Thursday,  the 4 of July 2007. She said the exercise is in 
pursuance of the powers bestowed  on the PAC by the provisions of section 
(102), (109) and (110) of the 1997  constitution of the Republic of The Gambia. 
She also said the Public Accounts  Committee (PAC) and the Public Enterprise 
Committee (PEC) shall, effective  Tuesday 10 July 2007, proceed to jointly 
receive and consider annual Reports,  Accounts and Financial statements of all 
public enterprises and agencies that  are funded wholly or partly by taxes from 
the people of The Gambia.  
According to the speaker, the principal objective of this statutory exercise  
is to perform lawful checks, scrutiny and serve as an over-sight over Public  
Enterprises and Agencies and the Public Services Delivery Systems, with a 
view  to ensuring that the Government of The Gambia and its Public Service 
delivery  systems, institutions, enterprises and agencies are all collectively, 
jointly  and severally accountable to the Gambian people.

SoS SANNEH HARPS  ON THE RICE MILL AT KUNTAUR

By Abdoulie Dibba
The Secretary of  State for Agriculture, Hon Kanja Sanneh, told deputies at 
the National Assembly  that the machinery at Kuntaur Rice Mill has served its 
purpose and that the  availability of spare parts had been a problem over the 
years, since there is no  company currently manufacturing spare parts for this 
type of machinery. SoS  Sanneh said his department of state is strenuously 
working towards making the  rice mill functional. 
The Agriculture Secretary of State was responding to a  question raised by 
Hon. Foday G. Manka, Member for Janjangbureh Constituency,  who asked for an 
explanation on what is responsible for the halting of the  supply of Gambian rice 
in the market and what are the plans of government to  make this rice mill 
functional again. According to him, few years ago, clean  Gambian rice was 
milled and sold at affordable price throughout the country, and  this had reduced 
dependency on imported rice.

IN LAMIN JARJU’S  IMPERSONATION TRIAL 
Western Region Governor to Testify
By Modou  Jonga
Following the testimony of Ebrima Jallow, the fourth prosecution  witness, in 
the alleged impersonation trial involving Lamin Jarju and the state,  
prosecutor 413 Sanyang had told the court that his fifth and last witness could  be 
the Governor of Western Region, Mr. Abdou F.M Badjie.
The prosecutor made  these remarks on Monday, 2 July 2007 at the Brikama 
Magistrates’ Court before  Magistrate E.F M’bai while applying for an 
adjournment. The accused person,  Lamin Jarju, a resident of Lamin in the Kombo North, is 
arraigned for allegedly  impersonating as an Alkalo without lawful authority. 
He has pleaded not guilty.  An Alkalo’s stamp and land transfer document were 
said to be found in his (the  accused’s) possession at the time of his arrest.
In his testimony Ebrima  Jallow, a police officer, attached to Yundum Police 
Station, noted that he saw  the accused while on duty on 20 April at the said 
station. Jallow said, he  obtained a cautionary statement from the accused in 
the presence of an  independent witness, one Sheikh Sohna.
According to the witness, the said  cautionary statement was read out to the 
accused in Mandinka and that it was  signed by both the latter and the 
independent witness. Both the cautionary and  voluntary statements, which were 
identified by the witness, were tendered and  marked as exhibits in court without 
objection by the defence counsel, Lawyer  Borry S. Touray.
The trial was adjourned to 11 July 2007.

MEN  ACCUSED OF DEFRAUDING ASPIRANT MIGRANTS
By Abdou Jeli Keita
Sedekeh Joof  and Alasan Joof were on Tuesday 3 July arraigned before 
Magistrate Lamin George  of the Banjul Magistrates’ Court, charged with two counts of 
Conspiracy to  commit Felony, contrary to section 368 of the Criminal Code 
and obtaining money  by false pretence, contrary to Section 288 of the Criminal 
Code Cap 10 Volume 3  Laws of The Gambia.
The particulars of offence in count one state that “on or  about the month of 
May 2007 in the city of Banjul and other places in The  Gambia, the accused 
jointly conspired to commit felony by obtaining an amount of  D600, 000 from 
Musa Sillah, Seedy Fofana and seventy others on pretext that he  will assist 
them to enter Spain.
Count two states that Sedekeh Joof and  Alasan Joof on or about the month of 
May 2007 in the city of Banjul and other  places in The Gambia, with intent to 
defraud, obtained D600, 000 from Musa  Sillah, Seedy Fofana and seventy 
others by means of false pretence.
Both  accused (Sedekeh Joof and Alsasan Joof) pleaded not guilty to the 
charges  preferred against them. The police prosecutor, Inspector Keita, asked the 
court  to adjourn the case for two weeks to enable him bring witnesses to 
court.  Inspector Keita informed the court that the accused persons were each 
bailed by  two Gambian sureties and that they have been reporting to the police 
station  regularly.
In his ruling, the presiding Magistrate, Lamin George, granted  court bail to 
the accused persons, Sedekeh Joof and Alasan Joof, who are  required to 
provide two Gambian sureties with traceable addresses, and that they  must sign a 
bond of D300, 000 each. The sureties are also required to be coming  to court 
with the accused persons. 
The case is adjourned to a later date in  July.
 



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