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Who wielded the knife that stabbed Dr. Touray?
Wednesday, 20 October 2010 13:53
“Et tu Brute!”Editor,
Greetings to you and family and I hope this letter finds you all well and in good health.
I have read much of the past week’s outrage on the Mile 2 detention of Dr. Touray and Mrs. Sissoho and I agree with you it is shocking. I am sure that ALL GAMBIANS and friends of The Gambia, including those who un-wittingly or wittingly helped to send these Honourable Ladies to
Mile 2 Prison, will be hoping and praying that they get released from prison today.Coming back to the concerns expressed by many, I must say that the more I think about this case, and the more the fog of confusion lifts, the more I begin to think the un-palatable. I believe it is good to be honest, and even if I take the risk that I could be very wrong, these are my thoughts – which to many may seem un-thinkable:-
1. That Jammeh and the “Mullahs” did not instigate the arrest of these women – although they have taken the opportunity offered to try and silence the gender-equality campaigners;
2. That Gambian “competitors” in the “Gender Advancement” arena who also happen to be competitors for access to international aid funds that go with it, may or may not have stabbed these two Honourable Ladies in the back (I believe Fatou Jaw-Manneh may have a similar feelings although she is too honourable and strong to dwell on it);
3. That influencial Gambians did arrange it for the Spanish Officials to have an audience with President Jammeh where the complaint against these two Honourable Ladies was discussed. People don’t just turn up in The Gambia and get to see the President. Some influential Banjulians contacted the Secretary General and got the President to offer an audience for the complainants. The President’s Office in turn refused Dr. Touray an audience. Dr. Touray’s and Mrs. Sissoho’s enemies were successful and Dr. Touray and Mrs. Sissoho are in Mile 2 Prison as I write; But the Spanish had no idea that there complaints would have such dire consequences and are flabbergasted – which may mean that in the end they may withdraw completely from any charitable work in The Gambia - leaving Dr. Touray’s enemies empty-handed too.
4. That there may or may not be a thoroughly un-principled reason as to why The Point and Foroyaa decided not to print the release by the Spanish President of the NGO exonerating this two Honourable Ladies;
5. That Halifa Sallah needs to explain his letter to Dr Touray’s Chairman asking questions – for it was those same questions that enemies of the two women used to get them arrested and put in Mile 2 – though I admit even the “enemies” may not have expected the Gambian Government to go that far;
6. That Dr. Touray’s lawyers need to explain why they chose not to go ahead with their application for High Court bail – when the Government was NOT opposing that bail application. The fact that the High Court Judge may have indicated in private that he would not rule on the application last Friday – and the High Court’s adjournment of the bail application would close off any possibility the lower court would give bail on Wednesday – is not a good enough explanation. Firstly, lawyers should challenge the courts to apply the law, not negotiate to bend it. Secondly, the reason why it was done, that Dr. Touray and Mrs. Sissoho may spend longer in Mile 2, is not a good enough explanation either. How many innocent Gambians have endured Mile 2 for years? Femi Peters has been there for over six months now. These two Honourable Ladies have become famous because they have fought the worst form of torture - yes let us call FGM torture for that is what it is - going on in The Gambia and around Africa today. I don’t understand how “revolutionary” President Jammeh can allow it to continue under his rule for 16 years! Well, my 7-year old Fula daughter is here in UK with me and she will not go back or even visit until the Gambian Government makes this barbarity illegal – as neighbouring Senegal has done. I don’t think these Honourable Ladies are worried by the prospects of Mile 2 for a month or even a year while all the eyes of the world are on them – and the barbaric custom for whose eradication they have fought so valiantly. Thirdly, making such a deal with the devil is simply wrong and misguided because there is no guarantee that these Ladies will be freed today.
I am sorry if my letter is too strong, but I believe more in “Due Process” and the “Rule of Law” than I believe in any religion (although my philosopher Jewish friend as told me that there is no conflict there because all religions are also about “Due Process” and the “Rule of Law”!). I sacked the Gambian Lawyer who told me that I should not go to the High Court for bail when I too was unlawful detained. To have my case dropped after I was finally granted bail, I had to sack a Lawyer again and write a letter to the Judge myself. The Judge asked that I call in the Police Prosecutor a brief hearing, after which the case was dropped and I was discharged. Otherwise, I would have had to stay in The Gambia on bail for as long as Fatou Jaw Manneh did.
In conclusion, it is my belief that people should fight for what they believe to be right. If you are right, and you blink when faced by your opponent, you will be defeated. When I was arrested in The Gambia, I wrote a 4-page “No case to answer submission” while in detention, and made it available to the Police Prosecutor, the British High Commission, the Attorney General’s Office and my enemies who had made the allegations against me. I was right, and they were wrong and the case was dropped.
Again I wish the two Honourable Ladies good luck in obtaining bail at court in Banjul later today.
Kind regards,
Dida Jallow-Halake.
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