Gumbo Touray Verdict, Victory For Democracy

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Gumbo Touray Verdict, Victory For Democracy

Sunday, 07 October 2012 13:37

(Editorial) – The just ended False Information trial of Gumbo Touray, which ended with a landmark ruling, making him the first person to be freed from this new charge that seeks to discourage people from bringing serious state matters to the attention of the President, should be celebrated as the victory for the Gambian people.

From it good thinking and fair-minded Gambians and foreigners alike drew a sigh of relief, showing that despite its reputation, the Gambian judicial system still has some good parts not affected by the rot that has been the hallmark of its deliberations time and time again.

However, any verdict other than acquittal in this case would have shocked even the presiding judge himself. This is because the credibility of both Mr Touray and his highly reputed witnesses’ testimonies were just so compelling even to the layman.

Muhammadou M.O. Kah

But perhaps more importantly what the trial and the verdict seem to have suggested is that something really is wrong at the University of The Gambia, which needs to be corrected as soon as possible if standards and ethics are not to suffer at this prestigious institution.

It also means that blind support President Yahya Jammeh gives to the Vice Chancellor throughout this crisis and in the wake of the NDEA report is greatly misplaced.

The president must certainly be embarrassed by the ruling if not by the startling revelations made during the trial against the leadership style of the VC.

You see what; president Jammeh should realize that not all opinions can be suppressed especially in the academic world where research, debates and the need for best practice is indispensable to success.

Therefore Professor Kah is at the wrong place when he thinks that his style and methods would go unchallenged just because he gets the unquestionable support of the president. Such feelings are not realistic in the academic World.
Jammeh and Kah

Chancellor Yahya Jammeh and VC Kah
Let the VC look elsewhere for work now. The Gumbo Touray trial and verdict is an indictment on his credibility and he should safeguard his integrity here and resign.

To the rest of the people concerned in this case, the lawyers and the presiding judge in particular, we say bravo for making The Gambia proud.

Giving false information to a public servant is a charge that has been used as weapon to shield incompetent people from been reported to the highest office, mainly through the machination of the President himself.

The Gumbo Touray verdict has proven that people with evidence have no fear to expose people and activities that are detrimental to the nation.

The courts would prove them right no matter how vested is the executive’s interest. We rest our case.

Comments

-1 #10 2012-10-09 23:58

People, dont be too excited here. Touray is not a saint. Now it is time 4 me to talk cus the case is out of the courts

I tell u this, both Touray n Kah do not pass my threshold 4 integrity n patriotism.

I dont know both men. But, like in many cases, am just lucky to gather way too much on both guys by someone who deals with both.

Now, lets get to Touray, he is presenting himself as the saint here. Touray claims that the University has many links when he was there n that those links have dropped. He did not state that his ineptitude was partly to blame 4 that.

When the university started in 1995, students from St Mary's Canada have always traveled to Gambia to take courses offered there. This was hassle free. The students registered from Canada, come to Gambia, do the courses n leave. When Touray became in charge, he frustrated a lot of students coming from USA for eg. Many dont want to come to Gambia 4 courses again

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-1 #9 2012-10-09 17:46

Why are people happy about this. The future will tell. Gumbo's allegations were unfound. He hates proff Kah because when he used to go to proff Kah's house(in glouster, banjul) for lunch proff was in primary school. Now this small boy whose mother used to feed gumbo becomes his boss and can teach him is what caused all this hatre.
I know gumbo very well; he is not educated and was sacked at a maritime institute in ghana. he was not performing there. I am urging GRTS to invite gumbo for interview on the issue of the maritime university in ghana.
I will stop here for now and will finish the remaining next time.

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+2 #8 2012-10-09 00:23

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To the rest of the people concerned in this case, the lawyers and the presiding judge in particular, we say bravo for making The Gambia proud.

We will not only be proud but also be free and be progressive when the judiciaries continue to dismiss all these vexatious litigations of dictator jammeh, his Notourious Dealers Enforcement Agency(NDEA) and his Notourious Informers Agency(NIA).
If we are having a bad driver with bad apprentices in a bad vehecle that doesn`t mean that the passangers should be bad too. The Gambian carbinet,the parliament, the judiciary, the civil servants, the media and the security forces(the passengers)shou ld be loyal to the country and serve their people(patrioti sm) but their loyalties to dictator jammeh(the bad driver),his NDEA&NIA(the apprentices)and his bandit regime(the bad vehicle)is unpatriotic because they don`t deserve your loyalties since they kill, torture, suppress and oppress their own people to deny them justice.

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0 #7 2012-10-08 20:37

Thanks Radiokangkang...That was very helpful..

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0 #6 2012-10-08 17:51

Bax, Sulayman Fatajo was convicted and sentenced to death by the Banjul Magistrates’ Court, presided over by Lamin George on the 22nd of November 2010 for allegedly causing the death of Pa Faal Susso around Tobacco Road in Banjul.

Baboucarr Marong and Yahya Barry, were charged with the offence of economic crime, contrary to the Laws of The Gambia. The particulars of the offence revealed that the duo, between 2007 and 2010 in the Basse Administrative Region, while in the employment of Gamtel, recklessly caused the loss of D1,163, 213. 000, being the property of Gamtel.

Badara Loum and Suruwa Jaiteh. The two were jointly charged with the offence of willfully or by omission or recklessly causing monetary loss to a public body on the 16th January 2009, contrary to Section 5(a) of the Economic Crimes Decree 1994, Decree No. 16 and punishable under Section 6 of the same decree.

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-6 #5 2012-10-08 16:19

Thank you Radio Kang kang for that brilliant analysis. It is now a habit that whenever judgement is not in their favor,it is deemed as unfair. Even if the accuse person pleads guilty to the charges,they will still say that he or she was tortured or forced to talk. People always come out of courts free. Those who want to see a competent justice system will always see one in the Gambia and those who are blinded by personal hatred for the president ,will always see injustice. If the president was manipulating the courts,then Gumba Touray and many others like him would have never had the chance to come out clean.

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+1 #4 2012-10-08 15:19

Good points Radiokangkang...But what were these people prosecuted for ...?

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+4 #3 2012-10-08 07:40

what set Gumbo touray free was the NDEA report, it was have been difficult for any judge in their right frame of mind to arrive at any other conclusion, however Foday Brry and Pa Mbye will be the victims in all, this saga, they wrote and exposed the report hence their predicament

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-4 #2 2012-10-08 01:35

(3)-Suleyman Fatajo vs State, thursday March 16, 2012. "Justice Amie Joof consequently set aside the conviction and sentence of the appellant, Sulayman Fatajo, imposed by the Banjul Magistrates’ Court on the 22nd November 2010 and accordingly acquitted and discharged him."

This is not something NEW in the Gambia judicial system. may Allah continue to guide and protect them. Ameen.

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-1 #1 2012-10-08 01:25

Quoting Editorial: "despite its reputation, the Gambian judicial system still has some good parts not affected by the rot that has been the hallmark of its deliberations time and time again."

There were many acquittal cases by gambian justice Aji Amie Joof.
(1)-State vs Dr. Badara Loum, "Justice Joof noted that the prosecution had woefully failed to prove their case or the ingredients of the offence as charged against the 1st accused and the case against the 1st accused was dismissed consequently, the 1st accused, Dr Badara Loum was acquitted and discharged.

(2)-State vs Yahya Barry, “I found the evidence of the prosecution witnesses insufficient. The law requires that if there is any doubt in a criminal trial, the doubt must turn in favour of the accused persons and I therefore observed that the prosecution has failed to prove any evidence against the accused persons,” Justice Amie Joof ruled, and subsequently discharged and acquitted the accused person.

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