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NIA Interviews Standard Boss Over Observer Investigations
Monday, 06 June 2011 11:50
(TheStandard) - The National Intelligence Agency investigators on Wednesday morning summoned the
managing editor of The Standard newspaper to shed light on the ongoing investigations at the Observer Company, the publishers of the Daily Observer newspaper.Officers of three security agencies; the NIA, police and a unit in the National Drug Enforcement Agency that investigate executive directives, have been investigating allegations of corruption, abuse of office, wrongful dismissal and writing or leaking information to the US-based online Freedom newspaper.
Following the publication of disparaging reports against the management of the company in the online newspaper, the Observer fired its accountant and it sports editor and reported them to the NIA. They in turn petitioned the Office of the President who ordered the police and the NDEA unit to investigate the allegations with a view to prosecuting whoever is found guilty.
When called to the NIA Wednesday morning, the head of The Standard newspaper was informed that a witness at the Observer claimed that when the Observer sports editor Nanama Keita was confronted with the allegations that he authored the piece against the Observer boss Malick Faye in the Freedom newspaper, he, Nanama Keita, held his head in his hands and called out ‘Sheriff Bojang!”
Speaking to The Weekend Standard, Mr Bojang said he told the enquiring NIA officer that he had no clue why Mr Keita would call out his name. “I told the NIA officer that that question should have been better put to the person who was said to have called out my name. I have no business or interest in this Observer/Freedom roulette. My focus is on how to make The Standard the flagship media company in The Gambia. Of course I know Mr Keita. Like many people at the Observer, I recruited him and trained him and consequently I have an enduring relationship with him. When he later told me about the allegations made against him, I asked him whether he did in fact write those articles and he categorically assured me that he did not and only came to learn of the first one when his friend in Dakar telephoned to inform him. I told him that if he had not done anything wrong, to have faith in Allah and that he will be exonerated. I have no neuroses with anyone at the Observer and as my protégés, I have been generous with my advice to anyone from their managing director down, as far as their professional development is concerned,” Sheriff Bojang explained.
Asked what else the NIA wanted to know, he said, “That was all. I wrote a brief statement to this effect and after about 15 minutes the officer explained that he was just being thorough with his investigations and thanked me for my time. He was a gentleman and very courteous. I wish this whole Observer thing is resolved as soon as possible. It is tragic to see young people who were colleagues and friends engaging in such farrago.”
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Comments
In each of those cases,the alleged 'offence' is not worth reporting by a responsible newspaper,let alone being prosecuted by the courts.
My point,therefore is this: If the state stops giving such people the attention they don't deserve,the practise will soon stop. So in a way,the state is encouraging this kind of behaviour.
radiokangkang,y ou made me laugh...you really did. So you think because the press secretary (for the president) is at state house,all matters relating to the media,private or public,should be handled in Banjul ?
The press sec. at state house serves as a liasion officer between the president's office and the media.
That office is part of the executive,so should not function as a media watchdog.
Comment
Lamin this’ the result of treacherous debacles of yaya’s misrule; pitting countrymen spy against each other, wasting valuable meagre state resources for selfish-domineering ONLY; ‘The Gambia’ we all know continue to be battered in hand of a SICKO; There’s NO room for such in decent societies where rule of law & fairness prevails; Just like in Libya before, mention yaya jammeh’s name in public twice, you are nicked/arrested & maltreated abusively before you know; WHY???
What I mean here is some of these things that are happening it’s people setting up each other. There was a story here that a man was jail for saying Senegal would attack Gambia. Does this even worth to be in a court? Who reported this man? Was Jammeh there when this man said this? Sometimes I comment here and you think I support Jammeh, Yes I do but reasonable ones. While you are out for the betterment of everyone others are out to hunt you and they get you? Who frees you; No one and you pay the price.
I hope you don’t continue running and have the ability to withstand problems that confront you. I got the inability to reason while you got the inability to be tolerant of opinions and the worst the inability to find solutions to your problems. I will never find myself in a problem that has a never ending solution. I wish you understand what I commented but I got the ability to feed you up while you got the inability to feed me up because you have nothing to offer other than drag me to a war of words. Am the wrong man to attack because am not responsible of your troubles.
ML,can't you see that rather than putting blame on Jammeh,what this report shows, is Jammeh's level of interference in every facet of Gambian lives.
In a properly governed state,such a role will be undertaken by an independent and professional body,not the office of the president,for God's sake.
If the state wasn't encouraging 'snitching', in the first place,the practice will not be so widespread. It has become such a problem that they now prosecute people for giving false information to officials.
GAMBIA TODAY IS MORE LIKE A BIG JOKE.
People are fedup with your inability to reason.
If Jammeh did not create the atmosphere of intolerance and draconian anti press laws in Gambia, we would have had the best and most vibrant media in the sub region today.
Most of our young media people have left the country and the few that remain are subject to harassment on a daily basis.
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