Pa Malick Faye Sacked As Observer MD

Thursday, 03 January 2013 18:29

(JollofNews) - Pa Malick Faye has been dismissed as Managing Director of the Observer Company, publisher of the Daily Observer newspaper.

Reports from Banjul say Mr Faye was dismissed Thursday Morning.

Details are still sketchy, typical of Yahya Jammeh`s Gambia.

Our correspondents are still working on it.

Momodou Saidy, formerly Director of Press at the Office of the President, has been appointed MD of the Observer, sources say.

Meanwhile, sources close to the Daily Observer in Banjul say the State House decision to sacking the former reporter-turned MD was linked to a caption on the Wednesday’s edition of the Observer newspaper, which reads: ‘The Execution was hypocritically blown out of proportion’. This was the headline for the president’s New Year message. Apparently Yahya Jammeh wasn’t happy with it.

As owner of the Daily Observer, which is Gambia’s most popular and widely circulated newspaper, President Yahya Jammeh has relied on it as his trusted propaganda tool. But he has done so discretely, which means constantly denying ownership through his supporters.

Jammeh has in the past ordered actions against staff of the paper when he was not happy with certain headlines or news stories.

He once ordered the sacking of the entire staff when a story on him was relegated to the inside of the paper.

Pa Malick Faye took over as MD of the Observer in 2009, succeeding Nene Macdoll-Gay after she was appointed Gambia’s Ambassador to the US.

She was later removed in disputed circumstances.

Pa Malick is accused by many of reporting journalist Chief Ebrima Manneh leading to his arrest by President Yahya Jammeh’s notorious National Intelligence Agency (NIA), and subsequent disappearance and possibly death.

It is not yet known if court actions will be taken against Mr Faye as he faces a barrage of accusations of financial malpractices.

A notable case is the allegations forwarded by former Daily Observer Sports columnist, Nanama Keita, now in exile in the US.

Mr Keita became the subject of ‘False Information’ charges pressed against him by State House prosecutors. Many people in Gambia believe Faye used his political clout to turn the tide against him for been vocal critic against his (Faye’s) alleged dishonesty in dealing with the company’s funds.
Written by JollofNews