News
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Sillah shot, evacuated
Mai Fatty called to NIA

By Omar Bah
Dec 27, 2003, 13:30

Ousman Sillah
Veteran lawyer, Ousman Sillah, was shot in the back early Friday morning by
unknown gunmen at the gate of his residence, South Atlantic, Fajara.
Sillah, who is the lead counsel in the high profile case involving House
majority leader, Baba Jobe, was said to have returned from a late wedding
party when the gunmen who were lurking around his home, shot him several
times at close range before driving away in a getaway vehicle.
Sillah was rushed to Ndebaan Medical Centre, on the Radio Gambia highway by
family members where a four hour surgery was conducted on him.

As soon as his condition was stabilised, he was taken to Banjul
International Airport from where he was evacuated to Dakar, Senegal by mid-
day for further medical treatment. He was said to be accompanied by his
wife and personal physician, Dr Jack Faal.

When we visited the scene of the shooting Friday morning, traces of blood
were seen on the iron gate of the compound. A team of police investigators
led by Jammeh Conta, police commissioner for Kanifing municipality, were
present, recreating the scene and questioning the watchman and residents in
the home while a crowd of weeping sympathisers milled around the compound.

Speaking to Sunday Observer, a Sillah relative said the traces of blood on
the gate were made while Mr Sillah was attempting to enter the compound
after being shot. The red Audi car he alighted before being shot, was still
parked near the compound gate.

Ousman Nicol a next home neighbour, explained, “I was sleeping late at
night when I heard some gunshots. I couldn't go out because I was afraid as
I didn’t know what was going on. Everyone in the neighbourhood was scared
to go out after the shooting. Mr Sillah is a very nice man, but they wanted
to kill him. I’m very sad about it. They want to get our dad out of this
life. I don’t know who it is, but this is a serious matter.”

Mr Nicol however claimed that he saw a tinted glass unnumbered green pick-
up vehicle parked “a short distance” from Mr Sillah’s compound by 10pm
Thursday.
He said he also saw “a tall strange man in a green shirt and black trousers
moving around the area.

Amie Sillah, daughter to Mr Sillah, amidst tears, said, “The incident is
threatening and shocking. He is a lawyer and he is doing his job. Those who
did this are heartless illiterates. They don’t know what they are doing.
What he only does is to go to work and then home.”
Amie, 17, said she had gone to see her father at the Ndebaan Clinic before
he was flown to Dakar. She said her father has a strong will and he
will “persevere and recover.”

Asked if the family would impress on Mr Sillah to quit his law practice
upon recovery, Amie replied, “He should continue. He is a man of true
words. Why won’t he continue? We don’t want him to stop. We want him to
continue. He has always been fighting for justice. Let Gambians fight for
justice. This is our country.”
Dr Abubacarr Senghore, a human rights activist and lecturer at the
University of The Gambia who was at the scene, expressed shock. He
described the incident as “terrible and a serious crime not only against
human rights lawyers and activists, but against the state”. He expressed
his hope that the state will employ “the necessary machinery in ensuring
that the culprits are brought to book”.

Mr Sillah, a former police officer who came to be one of the leading
lawyers in the country, was briefly appointed a judge by Jawara and served
as acting chief justice before opting to return to private practice. He is
also said to be the counsel for Batch Samba Faye who is being arraigned for
allegedly killing Malick Njok John during a brawl near WaaW nightclub on
Saturday, December 6.

Meanwhile, the spokesman for the team of lawyers defending Baba Jobe in his
economic crimes trial, Mr Mai NK Fatty, was invited to the National
Intelligence Agency headquarters for questioning yesterday afternoon. It is
not known what warranted his questioning and up to press time, neither Mr
Fatty nor the personnel of the NIA were available for further comment on
the matter.

© Copyright 2003 by Observer Company

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