The judge, Justice O. Ottaba of the Special Criminal Court in Banjul have gone against the dictates of the constitution of the Gambia to deny the bail application of Ousainou Darboe and Co today 5th May 2016. According to our sources on the ground, the judge has denied them bail because he believed the state prosecutor’s arguments that the defendants will interfere with the prosecution witnesses. Ousainou Darboe and Co appeared in court in high spirit, but the cruelty that is being meted out on they is beginning to have its toll on them as most of them appear frail.
Similarly, the government of the Gambia is systematically torturing Ousainou and Co by denying them access to medical attention or any form of medication. They are also denying them proper food, sanitation and access to their families and these are guaranteed in the constitution of the Gambia. However, the court proceedings for Ousainou and Co have been adjourned until Monday 9th May 2016, whereas, Nogoi Njie and Co’s have been adjourned until Wednesday 11th May 2016.
Meanwhile, the authorities have devised another system to deny people from travelling to Banjul today, Thursday 5th May 2016 to attend the court hearing of Ousainou and Co. Heavily arm soldiers have been deployed to block entrance to Banjul and diverted commercial vehicles away from court house drive amidst several protests in previous court sittings. They have also continued to mount several checkpoints with heavy arm police and military presence in all the strategic locations so as to intimidate the populace.
Furthermore, from Wednesday’s court appearance 4th May 2016, the state prosecutors led by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) S.H. Barkun has added seven new names to the charge sheet of Solo Sandeng’s group, which included Nogoi Njie, Fatoumatta Jawara and Fatou Camara, who were taken to court as part of the defendants. The names of the twenty-five (25) people that have been charged with seven counts from the original protest are:
Nogoi Njie, Fatoumatta Jawara, Fatou Camara, Modou Ngum, Ebrima Jabang, Kalilou Saidy, Kawsu Bayo, Bubacarr Jah, Muhammed Jawneh, Bubacarr Touray, Saderr Secka, Lamin Jatta, Lamin Camara, Ebrima Jadama, Pa Ousman Njie, Kekuta Yabo, Lamin Sonko, Bubacarr Gitteh, Baba Ceesay, Modou Touray, Ebrima Janko Ceesay, Alhagie Fatty, Alhagie Jammeh, Lansana Beyai, Lamin Marong,
Gambia Voices 