Norwagian Lady Sentenced For Racist Rants Against Gambian

PHOTO Lamin Samateh (PHOTO Credit MAMOS Tv)

by Ousman A. Marong
A Norwegean lower court in the Municipality of Telemark in the community of Skien, sentenced a Norwegean lady (Name withheld) for racist rants against one Lamin Samateh, a Gambian based in Porsgrunn, Norway. The lady was sentenced to pay a fine of 10,000 Norwegean Koroner or serve a jail term for 14 days for violating Norway’s racism law.
The complainant, Lamin Samateh, has lived in Norway for 10 years and was working as a teacher at the time of the incident sometime in December 2015. She was charged in 2017 and later judgement was delivered. The lady filed an appeal to the High Court in Norway but the court threw away the case and warned that she will now spend 20 days in jail instead of 14 days as earlier ruled by the lower court, if she fails to pay the fine.
Narrating the incident to Mamos Tv from his base in Norway, Lamin Samateh on 19th December, 2015 while he was out in town with his cousin brother, the lady met them at a “Kebab shop” and looked at him and called him a “saitanic nigga”.
“My cousin in UK visited and we went to town to buy kebab (Doner). A white lady (the Norwegean lady, name witheld) and her boyfriend (a white man) came to the shop. She looked at me and called us ‘nigga’. I told her not to call us ‘nigga’ and she repeated it and said to us “saitanic nigga.” By then there was another Norwegean couple beside us and they asked her to stop such act because the law does not permit anyone to be called such but she refused and said to the couple “you white bitches.” The (couple ) lady attacked her and then the police came to the scene. They took our statements and the following morning I filed a complain against her at the police,” Mr. Samateh explained.
According to him, after some weeks, the police called asked if he can meet with the lady at the Conflict Resolution Office to settle the case but he refused and after 9 months the police wrote to him and said they don’t have substantial evidence to try the lady in court.
“At first, I told them that I will forward it to the International Court of Justice but I later decided to request a power of attorney to give authority to the Centre Against Discrimination (anti-discrimination office) to fight my case, and the police had no choice and took the case to court. I did it to prevent such racist act in the future and to show to Gambians abroad that they have rights and can fight for their rights legally, without engaging in physical fight or doing something else that will jeopadize their stay in Europe or any where in the world,” he revealed.
Mr. Samateh said the said case against racism attracted the western media especially in Norway and that, the court’s ruling sends a strong signal that racism should not be tolerated.
Note: Also see this link for more details: https://www.nrk.no/telemark/kvinne-domt-for-a-ha-kalt-lamin-_jaevla-neger_-1.13498452

Gambia: Former GNA Officer Alagie Kanyie Testifies in FJC & Yankuba Touray's Case

By Ousman A. Marong A former soldier of the Gambia National Army (GNA) Alagie Kanyie has on Friday, March 22, 2019, testified in the ongoing trial of Yankuba Touray, ex-minister and a member of the AFPRC military junta; and Fatoumata Jahumpa-Ceesay, (FJC) an ex-Speaker of the National Assembly, at the Kanifing Magistrate's Court. The two accused persons, Yankuba Touray and FJC are jointly facing 3 counts of criminal charges, contrary to the laws of The Gambia. When the case was called before Principal Magistrate Isatou Janneh of the Kanifing Magistrate's Court, police prosecutor ASP Almameh Manga appeared for the Inspector General of Police whilst Lawyer Abdou Aziz Sissoho represented the accused persons. When the new charges were read, both accused persons denied the charges. According to the particulars of offence; the accused persons are jointly charged with conspiracy to commit felony, contrary to Section 368 of the Criminal Code and each of them face a single charge of interfering with information or witness, contrary to Section 36 (a) of the TRRC Act. The particulars of offence stated that the two accused persons agreed among themselves to influence, discourage or stop one Alagie Kanyi, a potential witness from testifying before the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC). Testifying before the court as the first prosecution witness (PW1), Alagie Kanyi said he is working with the Gambia Immigration Department (GID) and he is a native of Jarra Sankuya in the Lower River Region (LRR). He said before working with the GID, he was member of the Gambia National Army (GNA). He told the court that he knew the first accused person Yankuba Touray in the army and recognized the second accused person as a former Speaker of the National Assembly. Narrating what transpired between him and the accused persons, Kanyi said there was a day in the month of January 2019, when he received a call from someone who identified herself as Fatoumata Jahumpa Ceesay. He added that the person who called him was speaking in Wollof and told him that it is Fatoumata Jahumpa Ceesay. Kanyi narrated that lady then told him that she recognized him at Edward Singhateh’s residence. Kanyi adduced that FJC referred to him as an orderly to Edward Singhateh and that she got his number from Yankuba Touray. He added that the lady also enquired whether the TRRC has called him (the witness). PW1 told the court that he responded that he was called by the TRRC in relation to the November 11, 1994 incident. Kanyi revealed that Fatoumata Jahumpa Ceesay told him not to mind them (The TRRC) and asked him whether his mother is alive. "I told her yes my mother is around and she told me to be doing good things for her so that she will pray for me," he said. The witness told the court that Fatoumata Jahumpa asked him where he was and he told her that he was in Soma going home to Sankuya. He said Fatoumata Jahumpa further asked her whether the number she called him on is the one he is using on WhatsApp and he responded in the affirmitive. Kanyi said Madam Jahumpa promised to send him something whenever she reaches Dakar because she was on a trip, adding that there was where their conversation ended. "When she cuts off the call, I then called her back and thanked her for the good advice. I told her that I need her advice because the TRRC is not easy," he said. He said the number he was using on WhatsApp is 7633692. He told the court that, this was his first conversation with Fatoumata Jahumpa Ceesay; adding that he has never had any previous communications with her. The witness said it was on the same day when Yankuba Touray called him around 9pm towards 10 pm and identified himself as Yanks with regimental number 10529. "He said is me Yankuba Touray and even told me his Army number which is 10529. I then respond to him yes sir because I recognized the voice and he told me did these people call you? I asked him which people. He then told me the TRRC," the witness narrated. He said Touray inquired whether he went to the TRRC and what issues did the investigators asked him. Kanyi said he responded that he was called by the TRRC but he was yet to be asked about the issues. He explained that thereafter, Touray told him don't mind them (the TRRC) and he Touray also enquired from him whether Fatoumata Jahumpa Ceesay called him because he gave her his number. Kanyi said he responded in the positive. “He (Yanks) told me don't mind them (the TRRC), these people are only here for two years and they will fuck off from there,” Kanyi testified. He said the following day when he called Touray to go first to the TRRC because he was their commander, ‘he told me don’t mind them’. The witness said that he then called Touray for the second time and asked about the people captured during the November 11 incident. He said Touray told him that those people dance to their own tune because their intention was to kill them (the AFPRC members). The matter was then adjourned to the 2nd and 5th of April 2019 at 2 pm and 10 am respectively for the continuation of hearing. Yankuba Touray flank on left, Alhagi Kanyi in the middle followed by FJC (photo credit Yankuba Jallow)