Kabir/Buharry,
Dittoing earlier suggestions.
To buttress your point that this coup plot was fabricated, you might want to
cite the pressures the government was under immediately prior to the
abductions. This was at a time when they were under intense pressure because
of the UDP ambush and talks in parliament about Yaya's crude oil dealings;
not to mention the aftermath of the April 10 and 11 massacres. Each time
they are cornered, they cook up a coup plot.
As Colly mentioned the other day, the only evidence they are talking about
is some taped conversations. This is ridiculous. If it is true that they
have on tape the plotters of this coup, then why were they tentative in
their arrest of Lalo Jaiteh? Why did they reassign him to another position
before finally arresting him? If they had such strong evidence, then why did
the NIA let Kanteh escape? How were these tapes recorded? Can these tapes be
used as evidence in a court of law? Is there an entrapment offense here?
This evidence should be rejected if it was only obtained because some slimy
APRC character went and put words in people's mouths. This is flimsy
evidence and no court should entertain it. Therefore the court should not
allow the government to hide behind that dubious tape to hold people in jail
any longer. We should make it abundantly clear that this is the only piece
of evidence they have. If they torture people and get questionable
revelations, that would not count. We should first and foremost fight that
the suspects be released without charge. That is the stage of the battle we
are at right now. People are being illegally detained on the basis of flimsy
and dubious evidence. If we allow this to pass, then they can pick up Halifa
Sallah tomorrow, Ousainou Darboe the day after and Hamat Bah the following
week. If all they need is a pathological liar like Foday Barry to come and
say that they have taped conversations of alleged coup plotters, then no one
is immune. This is at the height of lawlessness. So it is incumbent upon all
Gambians to raise the threshold the government has to satisfy before they go
around accusing people of plotting coups. These are very serious charges.
The government has to provide more than that affidavit to convince the court
to leave these innocent citizens in court one extra day.
Someone might have already mentioned the constant harassment of the
judiciary that is currently going on. Judges are afraid to make rulings
against the government. Buttresses Kabir's point that the hearing should be
open to the general public.
Lastly, what kinds of contacts are being made with the Swedish government?
One of the victims was given sanctuary in their country for over a decade
and he is married to a Swedish citizen. The wider the publicity, the harder
it gets for the government to railroad these people. Again we urge the
opposition leaders back home to mobilize their supporters against injustice.
This is not about coup plotters. This is about the government lowering the
threshold it has to satisfy before it locks up innocent citizens while
pretending to investigate non-existent coup plots.
KB
>From: Amadu Kabir Njie <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Fw: Dumo
>Date: Mon, 17 Jul 2000 21:07:07 +0200
>
>Hi Buharry,
>
>My kids high-jacked my pc and I'm only now able to take hold of it again.
>Here are a few suggestions:
>
>* The APRC's history of fabricated "coup plots" dating back to 1994, and
>how such "coup plots" have become more frequent recently. One can cite the
>dubious "coup plot" of January(?) and may be include statements from people
>like the wife of Almamo Manneh, who was in bed whiles he was supposed to be
>leading a coup
>
>* How these supposed "coup" plotter were abducted in the middle of the
>night, with the exception of Dumo, by masked men.
>
>*How government had consistently lied about having them in its custody
>until they were forced to confess to the contrary. One can also cite here
>the abduction of Syngle Nyassi and how government had defied a court order
>to release him.
>
>*Demand that the families of the accused be allowed to visit them and/or
>that Human Right groups be allowed to visit them in jail if the court
>orders their continued detention.
>
>*Demand that the international community and Human Rights Organisations be
>allowed to follow the court proceedings so that they can judge for
>themselves if the trial is free and fair and to evaluate the "evidence"
>that may be proffered by the state.
>
>*That the state shall be held responsible for any harm to the accused while
>they are in their custody, noting the governments history of foul play.
>
>I could help dig up some material that can be used. Katim, Jabou, Elhajj M.
>Fye, Ebou Colley, Saul Khan, Hamjatta, Alpha, KB, Ebrima etc., and other
>volunteers could also offer some help. Ebrima's sources may also prove
>invaluable here.
>
>I understand Dr. Saine is on holidays but could may be join the team later.
>Those who do not want to send messages to the list could mail you privately
>with any suggestions they may have.
>
>Let's make this a collective effort. Malanding could supply some background
>if on Lalo and other list members who have any useful info. on the other
>accused can do the same.
>
>Regards,
>
>Kabir.
>
>
>
>
>MOMODOU BUHARRY GASSAMA wrote:
>Sent: Monday, July 17, 2000 4:29 PM
>
>
>
> > Hi Amadou!
> > IŽd gladly write the petition. What needs to be
> > established however is the petition's angle. If the petition had been
> > written before Dumo was brought before court then we could have
>petitioned
> > that he be confirmed to be in the NIA's hands or that he be charged or
> > released. I don't know from which angle to approach the issue now that
>he
> > has been officially charged. Any suggestions Gambia-l? Thanks.
> >
> > Buharry.
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Amadu Kabir Njie <[log in to unmask]>
> > To: <[log in to unmask]>
> > Sent: Sunday, July 16, 2000 2:01 PM
> > Subject: Fw: Dumo
> >
> >
> > > Hi List Members,
> > >
> > > The mail below is from Momodou 'Dumo' Saho's wife. As you can see,
>Dumo
> > and others are being framed here. I think we should intensify our
>campaign
> > to sensitise the international community about their plight
> > >
> > > I have in mind the kind of campaign that we carried out in the
>aftermath
> > of the student massacres. Maybe Brother Buharry can help pen a petition
>that
> > can be used as a standard for our various international communities?
> > >
> > > We must do all we can to stop Jammeh from murdering yet another group
>of
> > young productive Gambians!
> > >
> > > Regards,
> > >
> > > Kabir.
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: Bokaloho <[log in to unmask]>
> > > Sent: Friday, July 14, 2000 5:26 PM
> > > Subject: Dumo
> > >
> > >
> > > > Friends,
> > > > Today we went to court. The hearing was held in closed chambers so
>only
> > I
> > > > could attend (apart from the judge and the lawyers).
> > > > -At least it is now officially established that Dumo is with the
>NIA.
> > > > -Our lawyers insisted that he should be released, referring to the
> > > > constitution + the African Charter of Human Rights.
> > > > -The NIA lawyer insisted that he should remain in custody since he
>is
> > > > suspected of - together with some military personnel - planning to
> > > > forcefully overthrow the democratically elected government of The
>Gambia
> > and
> > > > that it would therefore be against public interest to release him.
> > > > -The ruling with come on Tuesday morning.
> > > > At the moment I don't know what to do next...
> > > > Annika
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
>--------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > --
> > >
> > > To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the
>Gambia-L
> > > Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
> > >
> > >
>--------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > --
> >
> >
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the
>Gambia-L
> > Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
> >
> >
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L
>Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L
Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
