Four Years After Extradition, Four Men Still Languish in Jail

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The Independent (Banjul)
August 24, 2001
Posted to the web August 24, 2001
Alhaji Mbye
Banjul, the Gambia
Sources close to the Attorney General's Chambers have confirmed to The
Independent that four men who were extradited from Senegal since July 1997
accused of trying to overthrow the government are still languishing in jail
without trial or even being charged with any offence.
The sources also acknowledged that accused persons should either be charged
or released as stipulated in the constitution but that he cannot understand
or explain the reason why the alleged coup plotters are still held without
charge.

Recently family members of the victims who approached The Independent
claimed that the alleged coup plotters namely Ebrima Waa Drammeh alias
(Bamba) from Tujereng, Suwanding Camara from Bondali; Abdourahman Baldeh
alias (Ghadafi) from Basse, Gibril Jallow alias (Paco) from Banjul, and
Ousman Wan alias (Ninja) from Wuli are said to be held without being charged
in any court. However the sources also confirmed that Suwanding Camara,
hired a lawyer who challenged the Gambia government on the legality of his
continuous detention without legal backing and that after a court battle Mr.
camara was subsequently released and now said to be a free man.
Concerned family members said that the four detainees, who cannot afford the
services of a lawyer like their fellow inmates were allowed only an hour's
rest for a whole day and given poor food rations and appalling toilet
facilities. The family members still maintained that they are not always
given chance to bathe at times and refused food from their family members.
"An empty gallon is all that we are allowed to use as toilet facilities,"
one of them claimed.
The accused persons who were said to be in Liberia were reportedly arrested
in Dakar when the Gambian authorities convinced former President Abdou Diouf
that they were wanted for trying to gather arms to overthrow the Jammeh
administration. Despite the accused persons persistent denial of such claims
however, family members indicated that the former Inspector General of
Police Sankung Badjie and the former GNA Commander Samsideen Sarr who is
currently in exile in the United States including some paramilitary officers
went to Dakar to effect their extradition.
The family members also acknowledged that later the International Committee
of Red Cross were allowed to visit the accused persons and provided them
with two blankets each and two-inch mattresses, but that despite numerous
complaints by the detainees nobody paid them heed. They further complained
that the accused persons were held in Senegal for a year, and detained at
Cent Metre central prison in Dakar where they were reportedly freer and
better looked after. They said they were provided with proper food from
friends and family members and allowed to rest from 8am to 5pm outside that
prison. Family members added that they were also allowed to listen to news
and read newspapers, drink "ataya" or smoke cigarettes, while they said that
in The Gambia they are not allowed to enjoy such privileges.
Family members who appealed to President Jammeh for the release of the
detainees also called on the international commu-nity and human rights
organizations including the Gambia Bar Association for help.
However they blamed former Senegalese president Abdou Diouf for extraditing
them back home, adding that even though they were meet by African Human
Rights organization under Ecowas in 1998, the detainees were informed that
they can only help them while they are imprisoned but cannot release them.
They said government should consider the detainees as all of them are
detained in a "single man's Cell". Family members also suggested that the
accused persons should have been tried in Senegal as according to them they
are surprised that "President Jammeh only pardon thieves and not political
prisoners".
When contacted Muhammad Lamin Sillah, Secretary general of Amnesty
International Banjul branch, and coordinator of the Coalition of Human
Rights Lawyers, expressed "shock and dismay that such miscarriage of justice
can happen in a society that calls itself a civilized one". He noted that
the constitutional provision of 72 hours is completely disregarded by the
authorities concerned and that he was equally puzzled by the way and manner
the Senegalese government extradited the accused persons.
He emphasized that the coalition will however take the issue with the
Senegalese government through its embassy in the Gambia to ascertain
conditions under which people can be extradited. Mr. Sillah noted that
equally the coalition will see whether the four men are to be charged or
released as it is unconstitutional to keep people under such circumstances
which he said is "inhuman, unconstitutional and illegal by all standard".
The Director of Public Prosecution Akomaye Agim, was not available for
comment as he was said to be out of town. When contacted, the master of the
High Court Ousman Jammeh noted that he cannot confirm whether the case
involving the allege coup plotters has been registered.



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