Kairaba Shopping Center Boss Arrested for Double Pricing

Photo: Kairaba Shopping Center (credit culled from Facebook)

By Ousman A. Marong

The Gambia Police Force (GPF) have on Monday, confirmed the arrest and detention of Hussein Tajudeen, the CEO of Kairaba Shopping Center. Mr. Tajudeen was arrested on Sunday afternoon for violating the price law by double pricing his commodities for customers.

           

The police spokesman ASP Lamin Njie confirmed reports of the arrest and detention of the Kairaba Shopping Center.

He said: “The Chief Executive Officer of the Kairaba Shopping Center is in the custody of the CID/HQ in Banjul. His arrest is in connection to his company’s double pricing of commodities for their customers during this period of the COVID-19 pandemic,”

And Hussein Tajudeen was the CEO of Tajco Company since its inception in 1993 and his company was the biggest importer of foodstuffs in the country.”

According to the police spokesperson, Tajco Company started falling out with former President in mid-June 2015, when the Office of the President wrote a letter to the company’s lawyers reminding them to wrap up their businesses before being given a thirty-day ultimatum.

He disclosed that the suspect’s siblings were allowed to stay in the county by former president Yahya Jammeh since they were all born and raised in the country.

Since then, he went on, Mr. Tajudeen left the Gambia and had no intention of returning to The Gambia unless if there is a change of regime.

PRO Njie disclosed that a team of police investigators has on Sunday visited Kairaba Shopping Center, following a tip-off that they had that the company is double pricing its goods, despite the presidential declaration. He said the matter will soon be taken to court as charges will be levied against the accused person in due course.

The team went there pretending to do some shopping and subsequently arrested the CEO of the company.

“We are not here to buy, and we are not buying anything. We are on investigation and we have concluded the investigation. We are police officers and you are under arrest. We will shut down the company until the government gives orders for the place to be re-opened period,” a senior police officer was seen in a video that went viral online talking to the CEO of the company.

Commuters Lament Imposture Of State of Public Emergency

Photo: President 

By Ousman A. Marong

Drivers in the Greater Banjul Area yesterday lamented the declaration made the president impose a state of public emergency without prior information.

According to them, the action is a punishment for them because a lot of them who are doing legitimate businesses now have their vehicles stranded in town.

They said that because of the congestion on the highway, some vehicles spend up to four hours paddling the road before reaching their final destination, adding that in order to avoid that long delay, some drivers resort to desperate measures which include smuggling.

It could be recalled that President Adama Barrow on Friday declared a one-week state of public emergency amidst the COVID-19 outbreak.

On his part, Ebrima Cham, a driver at the Brikama garage said; "there are legitimate businesses going on along the corridors of Banjul and Serrekunda respectively and as such, the government  of The Gambia must not paint everybody with the same brush."

However, he said that the traffic congestion along the Brikama, Banjul Highway is the main reason for the smuggling of passengers across the country.

Baboucarr Bahoum, another driver, said he is in full support of the police monitoring the drivers to ensure they are not overloading.

He warned police officers too wisely use the measure made to work and not the situation whereby law enforcement officers would take advantage of it and by exploiting drivers in the form of collecting bribes and allowing them to be overloading their vehicles.

"This move by the government is to help us all for not contacting the virus. Gambians are not easy to help, social distancing should not only stop at a public gathering, but it should also go beyond that," he remarked.

On her part, Amie Jawara, a trader at the Brikama market, said most of their customers came from Serekunda and Banjul, adding that it is wrong for a President to pronounce a state of public emergency without making any prior information to the general public.

 "I was on a commercial bus yesterday evening and I saw police officers collecting bribe from some drivers allowing them to illegally smuggled passengers without following the due measures of limiting the loads imposed on drivers," she concluded.

Former Army Chief Baboucarr Jatta Admits Not Telling TRRC The Whole Truth

Photo: Jatta & Faal

By Ousman A. Marong

Colonel (retired) Baboucarr Jatta; former Army Chief of Staff of the Gambia Armed Forces (GAF) has admitted not telling the whole truth to Essa M. Faal, Lead Counsel at the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) during his testimony before the commission.

"I was not open to Essa M. Faal. Let me tell you this, at Brikamaba. I will not tell Essa everything that happens in Brikamaba. In Brikamaba, the Station Officer (S/O) was found cleaning a riffle that I gave to the police. I gave one hundred and fifty (150) round live ammunitions to the police with 1.5 millimeters rounds of live ammunition together with 5 hundred blank ammunitions. That is why I came to the TRRC to tell Gambians am sorry," he revealed.

According to him; he gave this ammunition to the Brikamaba police officers in 1994 in order to put up a unit that can handle the VIP protection and armed robbery.

Jatta made these revelations yesterday in an exclusive interview with Alhagie Colley which was aired on West Coast Radio on a program called "Coffee Time with Peter Gomez".

"If Essa had been talking to me on matters related to policing, there he would have enjoyed the conversation. I lost six (6) of my men in the Farafenni attack; but Essa M. Faal would not mention them at the TRRC, because they are soldiers;" said the former army chief.

He described the army under former President Jammeh to be what he referred to as "scratch and win". Col. Baboucarr Jatta said, former President Yahya Jammeh was the boss in destroying the army. He said promotion in the army by then was not based on merit; but who pleases the president the most.

"How can you give someone who cannot read and write, a rank of General? How can you give someone a rank of Major because he was able to do 50 push-ups or doing something that pleases you? All these were happening in the army;" he disclosed.

Arrest of Landing Sanneh

The former army chief denied having knowledge or participating in Landing Sanneh's arrest.

"Sanneh was a second lieutenant; a second lieutenant is not even a junior officer. Why should I waste my time and the time of the President to go and arrest somebody when others can do it?" Jatta questioned. He revealed that they heard that former President Yahya Jammeh was supposed to travel to Gabon but later postponed his trip and went straight to Kanilai.

He further stated that Jammeh got the tape about a planned coup. He revealed that he was alerted by former President Jammeh, adding that it was the State Guard soldiers who were sent after Landing Sanneh and the late Almamo Manneh. He mentioned names such as Musa Jammeh,  Ousman Sonko, together with other State Guard soldiers who went after the duo.

"Upon arrival at Sanneh's house he (Sanneh) threw a grenade and he was shot on the arm. He was arrested and taken to Yundum Barracks. He was bleeding profusely. One of my medics WO2 Sarr called to informed me that Sanneh was bleeding seriously and I said stop the bleeding;" he asserted.

He further stated that it was him who ordered for Sanneh to be tried before a Court Marshall.

"If we lost Almamo Manneh; Bassiru Barrow; together with other soldiers the world would not trust us," he said.

The former army chief said he was questioned about the death of Ousman Koro Ceesay and he referred those questioning him to former president Jammeh.

"I was questioned about Koro's death and I said they should ask Jammeh; because he was in charge. Koro's death has nothing to do with me," he frowned.

                                                             
Bassirou Barrow's death

"I am not that Sanneh, a warrant officer who participated in a coup and got promoted to an officer. How about the likes of Bassirou Barrow who participated in the same coup, did they benefited the privilege like Sanneh," he queried.

He alleged that the late Almamo Manneh was part of the coup plotters and was shot to death.

"When they brought his body to me I said burry him like that I don't want to touch that body," he narrated.

VOX POP On COVID-19: Market Vendors Decry Stand- Still On The Business Sector Amidst Coronavirus Outbreak

Photo: Ali Wally

 By Ousman A. Marong

The widely discussed COVID-19 known by many as Coronavirus made its way to the tiny West African country (The Gambia) through a UK based Gambian in her mid-20s, who visited the country on 14^th March 2020 and was tested positive of the disease.

The roaming reporter was out and about to gauge the opinion of the businesspeople amidst the COVID-19 outbreak.

Ali Wally, a market vendor at the busy Serrekunda market said the fear of COVID-19 and the rapid spread of the virus is taking the world at random.

“Market has never been boring in The Gambia like this. People have found it very difficult to move around especially around the market areas since the outbreak of the Novel COVID-19. We do not have a lot of budgets and we don’t have a lot of revenue. Since I cannot stay indoors for a month I have to go and look for something to sustain me,” said Ali Wally.

He observed that nobody in the county can stay indoors for a full day without looking for means of survival. He queried why Gambians never take things seriously unless it starts to harm.

He quoted a saying from the Prophet Muhammed (SAW): “Do not leave a country in which there is a disease or calamity and also those who are there should also remain in.” He urged all and sundry to take all preventive measures and to remain hygiene.

“The sky-rocketing prices of commodities are due to the fact The Gambia does not produce anything and had to depend on import products. When there is nothing coming in, of course, businessmen and women will increase the prices of commodities to table the scale of preference,” he highlighted.

Bafoday Touray, on his part stated that business is all about customers, adding that people are not coming to buy as usual since the outbreak.

                                  
“You can sit here for about three to four hours without receiving any customer. The news about the outbreak is causing a lot of panics.”

He urged all and sundry to listen to health experts and heed to their advice.

Photo: Louis Gospel

Louis Gospel, a Nigerian businessmen residing in the country described the condition in the country as very serious and stressful.

“Nobody can enjoy the system. The way the business is going in The Gambia is not good. The government must find a solution to end the virus. Our children are no more going to school. Everywhere is closed, it’s the school who should give us the education and if the government shuts them down where are we heading now?” he asked.

He added: “We've been experiencing a lot of sickness such as HIV and AIDS, swine flu, Etc and by the grace of God we have conquered them all.  All these viruses come and go. When Hiv/AIDS and Ebola came, we panicked and now we have forgotten about them,” he concluded.

Sidia Jatta Encourages Precautionary Measures Amid COVID-19, Discourages Hiding Behind God

Photo: Hon Sidiat Jatta.

By Ousman A. Marong & PA ABLIE CORR

National Assembly member for Wuli West has encouraged people to take precautionary measures amid COVID-19, advising that there should be no hiding behind God to prevent them from self-protection.

Jatta was making his contribution to the report of the National Assembly Select Committee on Health, Women, Children, Disaster, Humanitarian Relief and Refugees on their inspection visits to official international entry points, holding and isolation centers on the state of preparedness for the COVID-19 and the minister for health statement on the pandemic.

“We shouldn’t also hide behind God and say, we should not do anything to protect ourselves from the COVID-19,” said the veteran politician cum linguist.

The chairman of the People’s Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS) further advised that human intelligence must never be underestimated, noting, “there is nothing we cannot overcome with our intelligence and we must believe.”

“I Was Shot By Junglers” Says Former Photographer

Photo: Witness Musa Sallah

By Ousman A. Marong

Musa Sallah alias “Gorreh”, former Gambian photographer was an alleged victim of human rights violation under the watch of the former President Yahya Jammeh who was shot by the “junglers” on a motorbike with a colleague at Umorto in 2001.

“We have received several gun-fires aiming at us while the shooting was rapid and the only thing I could remember was the bullet that hits me at my back,” Musa Sallah said.

Sallah who was on the back of a motorbike with one Pa Manneh were shot at a purported “checkpoint” that resulted to the death of his colleague while he had sustained injuries on his left arm close to the chest.

“How many minutes or distance did you have to ride before you were shot at,” asked the Lead Counsel.

The witness said the shooting started at a far distance and gave an estimate of about a hundred (100) to where they felt down.

He has made these revelations amongst other things at Dunes Hotel in Kololi, while testifying before the Truth Commission.

Musa Sallah alias “Goreh” said “as we were riding the motorbike gun-shoots kept coming towards us. I was hit by a bullet at my back as I told Pa Manneh that we should stop. He (Pa Manneh) too informed me that he was also shot. I leaned on his back while he too leaned on the handle of the motorbike and we both felt down when our motorbike entered a ditch.”

The 46-years-old from Pakaliba said as they felt down in the bushy grasses, Pa Manneh told him that he was going to die and he too uttered the same words to him. He said while lying down in the bushy grasses they decided to recite the “Khalimatu Sahadah” and eventually Pa Manneh died.

“This occurred at around 6 am local time when Pa Manneh died while lying on my leg. A few minutes later, I fainted and later woke up at around 11 am local time. As I was lying down on the grasses a herdsman found us lying and he wanted to help us, but upon seeing Pa Manneh lying down death he ran to collect his bicycle and left. I could hear other voices approaching towards us and I shouted who was that, can you please help me,” he remarked.

He explained that he later saw two soldiers standing next to him while the other one was besides the late Pa Manneh.

“As I was lying down in the grasses I could hear them talking to their boss on the phone who instructed them to conduct a thorough search on us. They informed their boss that we were Gambian and he told them even though let them conduct a search on us. The soldier looked at me and said you are very lucky that you people are Gambians, but if not we could have finished you,” said the witness.

He further informed the Commission that he together with the late Pa Manneh were put on a pick-up and they were transported to the “Silitti/Giboro” border police post where they were left lying on the back of the pickup truck at the backyard of the police post. He said they have spent 30 minutes of negotiations at the Brikama Police Station before they were transported to the Royal Victorial Teaching Hospital (RVTH) now Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital (EFSTH).

“Upon reaching Lamin Village, I fainted again. I was shot on the left-hand side of my chest just one inch into my heart,” he bewildered.

He outlined that while he was lying on his hospital bed, he was been guarded by a police officer who later informed him that he (Musa Sallah) was shot by the ‘Junglers’.

“The police officer informed me that I was shot by the ‘junglers’ and that they were following me. He told me that he was guarding me in order to protect me from the ‘junglers’. He said he was also putting an eye on me so as to know the in and out of those visiting me.”

The witness also said while he was discharged from the hospital, he was taken to the police headquarters and was asked to confess that Pa Manneh was a drug peddler.

“I was asked to confess that Pa Manneh was a cannabis peddler or else I would be locked up. I was later picked up by the NIA and they place me in one place without giving me any food or water. I was suffering from palpitation,” he noted.

NISAF Championship Set For Tomorrow

Photo: Ousman Kebbeh talking to the press.

By Ousman A. Marong

The National Inter-School Athletics Championship (NISAF) for the year 2020 Season is scheduled for tomorrow, Friday 13 March, at the Independence Stadium in Bakau.

This year’s championship will witness 71 schools battling for a trophy worth, One Hundred Thousand Dalasi (D100, 000) for Senior Secondary Schools and Fifty Thousand Dalasi (D50, 000) for Junior Secondary Schools respectively.

The seventy-one Schools across the county will be competing in the national inter-schools’ athletics championship. The duo categories will have their competition kick-off on Friday the 13 to Sunday 15 and the entire race would be held at the Independent Stadium in Bakau.

The Senior Secondary Schools will be robbing shoulders in battling out for the D100, 000 dalasi cash price and a trophy while the junior category too would be competing for the 50,000 dalasi and a trophy as well.

This year’s annual inter-schools championship would mark 40-years of existence that seeks to module school-going children to acquire varieties of requisite skills in their cost of stay while attending lower Basic education.

Speaking at a briefing on Wednesday held at the Independence Stadium in Bakau, Mr. Ousman Kebbeh, Acting President of The Gambia, Athletics, Sports Committee said:

“We are trying to introduce the modern standard form [of rules] to the kids so that they can be used to it by starting from the formation, regulation, and awards will all be in standard form.

There is a massive improvement in this year’s competition and we are trying to make sure it’s up to international level such that people will be aware,” he explained.

He revealed that they (Gambia athletes’ sports committee) are in consultation with the office of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) in facilitating the security of this year’s event.

He warned schools and Physical Education (PE) teachers in the use of unqualified athletes saying anyone found wanting would be dealt with accordingly. 

Gambia: “Sana Manjang Cuts A Man’s Head With Cutlass” Says TRRC Witness

Photo: Ensa Keita

By Ousman A. Marong  

Ensa Keita, former sand and gravel dealer alleged that Major Sana Manjang has cut the heads of his victims and threw their bodies to the former President Yahya Jammeh’s crocodiles in Kanilai.

Keita who was testifying before the Truth Commission has narrated a money problem that occurred between himself, Azziz Tamba and former President Yahya Jammeh.

Azziz Tamba is a nephew to the former President Yahya Jammeh who was stationed in Kanilai, the home village of former President Jammeh. He was the one responsible for the construction of the compound of former President Jammeh’s elders' brother.

According to the witness, he was working in Amadou Samba’s gravel company and later proceeds to Kanilai where he was working as a laborer.

 The 56-year-old said he is a native of Baddibu Kinteh-Kunda Marong-Kunda in the Central Baddibu.

“Azziz Tamba was the one overseeing the building project of the former President Yahya Jammeh’s elder brother in Kanilai. Upon completing the work and I requested my pay but Azziz Tamba kept pulling and pushing me. Anytime, I asked him about my money he would give excuses that the former President was busy,” he explained.

He made these remarks at Dunes Hotel in Kololi, while testifying before the Truth Commission.

The witness recounts his tussled with Azziz Tamba when he crabbed Azziz’s shirt and wanted to knock him but his hand was held by a friend.  

“It was during this time that I was arrested and detained by Musa Jammeh alias “Maliamungo”. I was arrested by Musa Jammeh and was accused of having a hand in smuggling guns to MFDC rebels in Cassamance. Musa Jammeh asked me to accept that I was directly dealing with the Cassamnce rebels which I refused and told him that I was not a soldier and have little or no knowledge with regards to guns so how could I deal with the MFDC rebels,” the witness quizzed.

He said he was arrested by Musa Jammeh and was taken to “Woni” an area in Kanilai belonging to former President Yahya Jammeh.

“Musa Jammeh slapped me upon arresting me. I was locked up in a house in “Woni” where all kinds of tortures were meted out on me. As I was serving my detention a man by the name Kajali Jarju was also arrested and brought by Sanna Manjang to join me. I asked the man his name and he told me his name was Kajali Jarju alias “Lacock”. He (Kajali Jarju) informed me that he brought some cannabis to sell in Kanaila to acquire some money to buy food and take it back to Cassamance in order to feed his family,” said the witness.

He said Kajali has told him that he was roaming at the backyards of Kanilai when he met [Major] Sanna Manjang and explained his mission to him.

“He said Sanna Manjang asked him to take him to the place where he hides the cannabis. When they reached the place, he (Kajali) bend to pull out the cannabis buried with a gun. As soon as Sanna Manjang saw the gun he pulled out his pistol and pointed at his ears and said to him ‘you are under arrest!’ and escorted him,” he asserted.

The witness alleged that Sanna Manjang later killed Kajali Jammeh by chopping his head off with a sword.

Describing the gruesome killing, the witness said “Sanna Manjang was standing face-to-face with the captive (Kajali) while exchanging words with him where he told the captive that he (Sanna Manjang) will kill him. They were standing facing each other when Sanna pulled out his sword to have his head chopped off.”

After chopping off his head, the man’s head felt on the other side of the ground while his body is shaking and tongue mumbling in his mouth.

“After having the man killed Sanna Manjang hatched his chest into pieces and cut-off his legs and put the head in a plastic bag and took his remains to crocodiles to feed on. I was told the head was to be given to former President Yahya Jammeh and he benefited them with rituals,” he noted.

“I Was Arrested For Refusing To Cut-Down Citizen FM Transmitter” Says Witness

Photo: TRRC Commissioners. (Credit culled from TRRC FB Page)

By Ousman A. Marong

Former Gamtel Senior Manager, Mr. Ebrahima Yarbo, has conjugated his arrest and detention by the defunct National Intelligence Agency (NIA) now Security Intelligence Services (SIS) to his refusal to cut-down the transmitter of Citizen FM Radio Station.

The sixty-seven (67) year old Yarbo, explained in April 1995 on a faithful Friday morning that he had received a telephone call from the NIA requesting him to go and answer to them.

“Upon arrival at the NIA, I met senior officers including FRI Jammeh, Samba Bah, Numo Kujabi and Francisco Kosaso. It was Numo Kujabi who welcomed me and requested that I should accompany them to the Gamtel House to switched-off Citizen FM’s radio transmitter. I told him that wouldn’t be easy and that it was not under my domain to do such. They informed the former President Yahya Jammeh that I refused to cut down citizen FM’s radio transmitter citing to him (Yahya Jammeh) that I must be part of the revolutionary movement groups who were not in support of the regime at the time,” Ebrahima Yarbo said.

Yarbo made these revelations via skype from his UK based while testifying before the country’s Truth Commission on Tuesday morning.

Arrest and Detention         

In his own leeway, he said he was arrested at around 3am local time. He added that his arrestees used a rope in getting to the floor he was living in.

“They appeared in my house at about 3am local time and they were knocking my door that I should come out. I telephoned the police but they complained about the lack of fuel. I told them that I was just next door to them. As soon as the police arrived, they found these mobs with their riffles that identified themselves as NIA Operatives. The police made it clear to them that was not the way to arrest someone,” he remarked.

He added: “I was arrested for refusing to cut-down Citizen FM transmitter.”

Inhuman Prison Condition

The witness revealed that he had spent 4-years and 4 months in prison.

He made mention of names like Saul Ndow, Lieutenant Omar Darboe, Modou Drammeh and Modou Dumo Saho whom he was detained with at the infamous “Bamba Dinka” cell.

He said Saul Ndow later escaped when the state wanted to use him as a prosecution witness.

Yarbo adduced that they were charged with treason but were later acquitted and discharged. He informed the Commission that upon his discharge he received a letter from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DDP) stating he would not be reinstated.