BREAKING NEWS:THE SLOW PACE OF PROSECUTION OF COUP SUSPECTS WAS DUE TO LACK OF EVIDENCE!!!
              BY STAFF WRITER KARAFA BADJIE
  Well placed judicial sources blamed the slow prosecution of the alleged coupists to what they called lack of evidence against the accused persons. Insiders at the government law offices in Banjul told the Freedom Newspaper that the justice Minister Sheik Tijan Hydara had told the police to put the case file of the coup suspects on hold as evidence provided so far were weak and cannot be relied upon in any court of law to convict the suspects. “All what they have in their possession was a drafted speech, purportedly emanating from the coupists. But the said document could be disputed by the defense as they might as well claimed that the document was forged or obtained under duress by the state. The AG is apparently confused as to what to do. He has been trying to figure out what line of action to take in this case. The case file was sent back to the police for further research to build up their case against the accused persons.” said an official of the AG Chambers who
 spoke on strict conditions of anonynimity. 
  
  SOS HYDARA REPORTEDLY TELLS THE POLICE
  TO DO THEIR HOME WORK BETTER. COUP CHARGES 
  APPEARED VERY WEAK!!!
  The official said he personally met the detainees who appeared to be in a very bad state of health and had denied the coup story allegations even they were forced to sign voluntary statements by the police and the NIA. The official cited the statement of sacked KMC Mayor Lie Conteh who is currently feared dead by his family. “Conteh denied knowledge about the coup and said he will not admit to a crime he never committed. Other civilian detainees also said the same thing. This must have led to their beatings and brutal torture. The security agents wanted to illicit admission of guilt by forceful means from them. The holding charge sheet passed to our office was very weak. I think this is why the Minister decided to tell the police and the NIA to gather more evidence to justify the charge of treason. That mere coup speech is not enough for a treason charge. Remember they are talking about conspiracy in this case. My fear is that  this case will likely be dismissed by the
 courts as there is no evidence to convict the accused persons.” said the AG Chambers insider.
  The insider says the said case will lead to many revelations as some of the accused persons were posed to unveil the mistreatment they suffered from the hands of the security forces. “NIA’S Harry Sambou and the police IGP Ousman Sonko kept on walking into our offices day in day out. They are not keen at giving the state law offices about the full story of the said case. For the IGP, he is dumb headed. He cannot even speak correct English. He kept on telling SOS Hydara yes Sir, yes Sir. These people are out to frame innocent Gambians.” said the insider.
  It would be recalled that since the arrest of the coup suspects the government had not formally filed charges against them. Besides, the GRTS trial by media, the state is yet to take the accused persons to court. It is reported that the state is also avoiding the whereabouts of Dabba Marenah and four other detainees to be discussed in court, as recent reports seems to have suggested that Dabba and Co were summarily executed. The government however, insists that the men escaped while being transported to a jail house in the Central River Division. 
    
Posted on Wednesday, April 19, 2006 (Archive on Thursday, April 27, 2006)
Posted by PANDERRYMBAI  Contributed by PANDERRYMBAI
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