PANAPRESS
Panafrican News Agency
Leaving the foot-step of 2011 in the Gambia
Banjul, Gambia (PANA)-The Gambia is a democratic Republic situated at the farthest point of the coast of West Africa.
The smallest on the African continental mainland and the Gambia is approximately 11,000 Km in area and stretches about 400Km inland along the banks River Gambia. It is bordered on all side by the Republic of Senegal expect on the West, by the Atlantic Ocean, with a population of about 1.5 million growing at an annual rate of four percent 2003 census, PANA report from here today Thursday 31st December 2011.
In the year 2011, the small West African State witness some major events ranging from convictions of senior security officials and foreign drugs dealers, Presidential election, appointment of Gambian as ICC chief prosecutor and some high personality court cases.
On May 23, 2011, former Chief of Defence Staff Lang Tombong Tamba and his compatriot, former Naval Chief Sajo Fofana who was the president of the court -martial that convicted the April 21, 2066 coup plotters to death were in Court for sentencing over charges of treason and related offences.
Former Naval Chief Sajo Fofana and former Chief of Defence Staff Lang Tombong Tamba were in 2010 accused by the State of being part of the 2006 coup plot and they were both sentenced to death in 2011.
Tamba and seven others including top security chiefs, two business tycoons and a diplomat were found guilty by the High Court in Banjul of plotting a coup against President Yahya Jammeh in 2009. They were all sentenced to death on July 15, 2010.
Erstwhile Inspector General of Police Ensa Badjie convicted to life imprisonment on two counts of robbery. Justice Joseph Enwa Ikpala of the Criminal Division of the Banjul High Court handed Badjie various terms of imprisonment including 7, 14, 7, 2 and 7 years respectively in five other related offences.
His co-accused, ASP Ali Ceesay was also sentenced to a fine of thirty thousand dalasis (D30, 000.00 about $ 2,300 dollar) in default to serve three years imprisonment.
Both have earlier denied any wrong doing in a 15-count charge including conspiracy to commit felony, robbery with violence, receiving stolen property, aiding or abetting prisoners to escape from lawful custody, official corruption among others.
On 10th October 2011, eight foreigners handed fifty years mandatory jail term each after found guilty of nine drug dealing related charges by a District Magistrates’ Court in Banjul, the Gambian capital.
Principal Magistrate Sheriff B. Tabally, presiding, found them guilty of “Conspiracy; being in possession of prohibited drugs; dealing in drugs; having fire arms without authority; importation of fire arms without authority; and related offences”. They have since June 2010 denied any wrong doing.
The eight convict are Ephriam Michael Chiduben (Nigerian), Juan Carlos Sanchez, Eric Bottini, Dose Fermin, Juan Carlos Diaz and Esteaban Zavala (Venezuelans), George Sanchez (Mexican-Liberian), and Rudy Rasoehamid Ghazi (Dutch of Netherlands origin).
The fourth, Dennis Wilgo Winter (Dutch of Netherlands origin), who was the 4th accused died at the State’s maximum security wing, the Mile II Central Prison overnight on 9th October, 2011 confirmed a Senior Prison Officer, Baboucarr Jatta.
A Gambian private lawyer and former High Court judge, Moses B. Johnson Richards, 41, handed an imprisonment term of two and half years by the Magistrate Court in Banjul, the capital of The Gambia.
Magistrate Alagbe Taiwo Ade, presiding, convicted Mr Richards to 30 months imprisonment with hard labour after he found him guilty on two counts of “giving false information” and “sedition”.
The former Magistrate and High Court Judge had earlier pleaded not-guilty to the two criminal charges brought against him by the police earlier this year. The charges emanates from a letter he wrote to the Office of the President on behalf of his client over a land dispute at Jabang village, Kombo North District of the West Coast Region.
On September 19, 2011, the lower court sentence him to six months on “giving false information” and two years on “sedition”, however, Magistrate Taiwo Ade in his judgment noted that the sentencing should run concurrently.
Belgian coach Paul Put sacked as coach of the Gambia senior national team after the nation’s latest 2012 Africa Cup of nations qualifier setback against Burkina Faso.
Put was sacked by Gambia Football Association (GFA) after failing to meet the terms of his contract which was to qualify The Gambia to the African Cup of Nations or the World Cup.
Dr. Amadou Scattred Janneh, a former information minister, Michel C. Ucheh, Modou Keita and Ebrima Jallow charged with “conspiracy to commit treason”, “treason”, and “seditious act”.
This charge emanates from allegations that they unlawfully planed to overthrow the Government of The Gambia by printing and distributing T-Shirts with the inscription “Coalition for Change-The Gambia, End Dictatorship Now”. They have since denied any wrong doing.
At the end of the general registration voters exercise the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) declared that 796,929 Gambians are eligible to vote in the country 2011 presidential election. Alhaji Mustapha Carayol chairman Independent Electoral Commission said the Gambians voters will be voting at 1,302 polling stations across the country.
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) on November 10, 2011, approved the nomination of two political parties and a independent candidate to contest November 24, 2011 election for the office of President of the republic of the Gambia.
The candidates are namely; Lawyer Ousainou Darboe, President Yahya Jammeh and the independent candidate is Hamat N.K. Bah, independent
Lawyer Ousainou Darboe of the United Democratic Party was the first to be nominated by his party the UDP at the IEC building in Kanifing.
Hamat N.K. Bah, independent candidate, but supported by four parties namely’ Gambia People Democratic Party (GPDP), National Alliance for Democracy and Development (NADD), and National Reconciliation Party (NRP), People Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS) was the second to be nominated by the four parties.
President Yahya Jammeh of the Alliance Patriotic Reorientation and Construction was the last candidate to be nominated by the APRC.
Gambians have re-elected Yahya AJJ Jammeh, the presidential candidate of the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) on Thursday to serve another five-year term of office.
On Friday November 25, 2011, the Chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission, Alhagie Mustapha L. Carayol declared Yahya Jammeh winner of the November 24, 2011 polls. He won 470, 550 (72%) of the popular vote. His challengers, Ousainou ANM Darboe, candidate of the United Democratic Party (UDP) and Hamat NK Bah, an independent candidate backed by four parties collectively called “the united front” bagged 114, 177 (17%) and 73, 060 (11%) of the total votes cast respectively.
Bogus results
But Mr Darboe, who has failed in his attempt to unseat Jammeh for the fourth time, said Thursday’s results are “fraudulent and bogus” and has refuse to accept defeat during an address to his supporters at his residence in Pipeline, Kanifing Municipality, shortly after the announcement.
Gambia’s Fatou Bensouda named as ICC chief prosecutor
On December 12, 2011, Member states of the International Criminal Court elected Gambia's Fatou Bensouda as their next chief prosecutor, partly to counter opinions that the court unfairly targets the African continent.
Bensouda, 50, will succeed the high-profile Luis Moreno-Ocampo of Argentina, whose term of office expires next June. She is currently his deputy.
Bensouda was elected without a vote at a meeting in the United Nations of the 120-nation Assembly of States Parties to the ICC, which is based at The Hague in the Netherlands. She will serve a nine-year term starting June 16. 132-PANA MSS 31st December 2011
The smallest on the African continental mainland and the Gambia is approximately 11,000 Km in area and stretches about 400Km inland along the banks River Gambia. It is bordered on all side by the Republic of Senegal expect on the West, by the Atlantic Ocean, with a population of about 1.5 million growing at an annual rate of four percent 2003 census, PANA report from here today Thursday 31st December 2011.
In the year 2011, the small West African State witness some major events ranging from convictions of senior security officials and foreign drugs dealers, Presidential election, appointment of Gambian as ICC chief prosecutor and some high personality court cases.
On May 23, 2011, former Chief of Defence Staff Lang Tombong Tamba and his compatriot, former Naval Chief Sajo Fofana who was the president of the court -martial that convicted the April 21, 2066 coup plotters to death were in Court for sentencing over charges of treason and related offences.
Former Naval Chief Sajo Fofana and former Chief of Defence Staff Lang Tombong Tamba were in 2010 accused by the State of being part of the 2006 coup plot and they were both sentenced to death in 2011.
Tamba and seven others including top security chiefs, two business tycoons and a diplomat were found guilty by the High Court in Banjul of plotting a coup against President Yahya Jammeh in 2009. They were all sentenced to death on July 15, 2010.
Erstwhile Inspector General of Police Ensa Badjie convicted to life imprisonment on two counts of robbery. Justice Joseph Enwa Ikpala of the Criminal Division of the Banjul High Court handed Badjie various terms of imprisonment including 7, 14, 7, 2 and 7 years respectively in five other related offences.
His co-accused, ASP Ali Ceesay was also sentenced to a fine of thirty thousand dalasis (D30, 000.00 about $ 2,300 dollar) in default to serve three years imprisonment.
Both have earlier denied any wrong doing in a 15-count charge including conspiracy to commit felony, robbery with violence, receiving stolen property, aiding or abetting prisoners to escape from lawful custody, official corruption among others.
On 10th October 2011, eight foreigners handed fifty years mandatory jail term each after found guilty of nine drug dealing related charges by a District Magistrates’ Court in Banjul, the Gambian capital.
Principal Magistrate Sheriff B. Tabally, presiding, found them guilty of “Conspiracy; being in possession of prohibited drugs; dealing in drugs; having fire arms without authority; importation of fire arms without authority; and related offences”. They have since June 2010 denied any wrong doing.
The eight convict are Ephriam Michael Chiduben (Nigerian), Juan Carlos Sanchez, Eric Bottini, Dose Fermin, Juan Carlos Diaz and Esteaban Zavala (Venezuelans), George Sanchez (Mexican-Liberian), and Rudy Rasoehamid Ghazi (Dutch of Netherlands origin).
The fourth, Dennis Wilgo Winter (Dutch of Netherlands origin), who was the 4th accused died at the State’s maximum security wing, the Mile II Central Prison overnight on 9th October, 2011 confirmed a Senior Prison Officer, Baboucarr Jatta.
A Gambian private lawyer and former High Court judge, Moses B. Johnson Richards, 41, handed an imprisonment term of two and half years by the Magistrate Court in Banjul, the capital of The Gambia.
Magistrate Alagbe Taiwo Ade, presiding, convicted Mr Richards to 30 months imprisonment with hard labour after he found him guilty on two counts of “giving false information” and “sedition”.
The former Magistrate and High Court Judge had earlier pleaded not-guilty to the two criminal charges brought against him by the police earlier this year. The charges emanates from a letter he wrote to the Office of the President on behalf of his client over a land dispute at Jabang village, Kombo North District of the West Coast Region.
On September 19, 2011, the lower court sentence him to six months on “giving false information” and two years on “sedition”, however, Magistrate Taiwo Ade in his judgment noted that the sentencing should run concurrently.
Belgian coach Paul Put sacked as coach of the Gambia senior national team after the nation’s latest 2012 Africa Cup of nations qualifier setback against Burkina Faso.
Put was sacked by Gambia Football Association (GFA) after failing to meet the terms of his contract which was to qualify The Gambia to the African Cup of Nations or the World Cup.
Dr. Amadou Scattred Janneh, a former information minister, Michel C. Ucheh, Modou Keita and Ebrima Jallow charged with “conspiracy to commit treason”, “treason”, and “seditious act”.
This charge emanates from allegations that they unlawfully planed to overthrow the Government of The Gambia by printing and distributing T-Shirts with the inscription “Coalition for Change-The Gambia, End Dictatorship Now”. They have since denied any wrong doing.
At the end of the general registration voters exercise the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) declared that 796,929 Gambians are eligible to vote in the country 2011 presidential election. Alhaji Mustapha Carayol chairman Independent Electoral Commission said the Gambians voters will be voting at 1,302 polling stations across the country.
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) on November 10, 2011, approved the nomination of two political parties and a independent candidate to contest November 24, 2011 election for the office of President of the republic of the Gambia.
The candidates are namely; Lawyer Ousainou Darboe, President Yahya Jammeh and the independent candidate is Hamat N.K. Bah, independent
Lawyer Ousainou Darboe of the United Democratic Party was the first to be nominated by his party the UDP at the IEC building in Kanifing.
Hamat N.K. Bah, independent candidate, but supported by four parties namely’ Gambia People Democratic Party (GPDP), National Alliance for Democracy and Development (NADD), and National Reconciliation Party (NRP), People Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS) was the second to be nominated by the four parties.
President Yahya Jammeh of the Alliance Patriotic Reorientation and Construction was the last candidate to be nominated by the APRC.
Gambians have re-elected Yahya AJJ Jammeh, the presidential candidate of the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) on Thursday to serve another five-year term of office.
On Friday November 25, 2011, the Chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission, Alhagie Mustapha L. Carayol declared Yahya Jammeh winner of the November 24, 2011 polls. He won 470, 550 (72%) of the popular vote. His challengers, Ousainou ANM Darboe, candidate of the United Democratic Party (UDP) and Hamat NK Bah, an independent candidate backed by four parties collectively called “the united front” bagged 114, 177 (17%) and 73, 060 (11%) of the total votes cast respectively.
Bogus results
But Mr Darboe, who has failed in his attempt to unseat Jammeh for the fourth time, said Thursday’s results are “fraudulent and bogus” and has refuse to accept defeat during an address to his supporters at his residence in Pipeline, Kanifing Municipality, shortly after the announcement.
Gambia’s Fatou Bensouda named as ICC chief prosecutor
On December 12, 2011, Member states of the International Criminal Court elected Gambia's Fatou Bensouda as their next chief prosecutor, partly to counter opinions that the court unfairly targets the African continent.
Bensouda, 50, will succeed the high-profile Luis Moreno-Ocampo of Argentina, whose term of office expires next June. She is currently his deputy.
Bensouda was elected without a vote at a meeting in the United Nations of the 120-nation Assembly of States Parties to the ICC, which is based at The Hague in the Netherlands. She will serve a nine-year term starting June 16. 132-PANA MSS 31st December 2011
