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| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Momodou |
Posted - 08 Jun 2017 : 12:50:22
More than 60% of NIAs ‘illiterate’
By Sanna Camara and Lamin Jahateh
The Point: Thursday, June 08, 2017
http://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/article/more-than-60-of-nias-illiterate
More than 60 per cent of the personnel of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) “are functionally illiterate” who can neither read nor understand English language, according to a leaked petition from the agency.
The petition, written by Bubacarr A.M.O Badjie, legal adviser of the NIA – now referred to as the State Intelligence Services, has it that most of the functionally illiterate NIAs got their employment through nepotism for they were recruited by past and present NIA directors, former army generals and Pa Bojang, a cousin to former President Yahya Jammeh.
“Individuals who were brought by Pa Bojang comprise ‘Green Youth militants’ and other residents of former President Jammeh’s mother’s home,” Mr Badjie said in the petition, dated 22 May 2017, sent to the Office of the President and copied to the Gambia Bar Association, Inspector General of Police and Director General of NIA.
A copy of it has been obtained by The Point newspaper.
According to the petition, the usefulness of such people as NIA agents “is very insignificant as most of them cannot write comprehensive English language nor understand it”.
“Ordinarily, the first priority of the reform is to conduct a proper staff audit as writing is the working tool of the intelligence agents,” Mr Badjie said in the petition.
According to the legal adviser, the reform is not yet done and without it the NIA cannot contribute effectively to the crucial role a democratised intelligence service can play in the national security architecture to combat both traditional and emerging threats including terrorism, espionage, insurgency, sabotage, subversion, human trafficking, money laundering and illegal migration.
Spying on Barrow
According to the petition, during the campaign for the 2016 presidential election, an NIA security officer (name withheld) while on study leave “infiltrated the UDP party and even became a body guard to President Adama Barrow (when he was a candidate) during the campaign and during the political impasse and shortly after his assumption to the Office of the President.
The guy is now promoted from a security officer to an operative directly answerable to the director general of NIA.
Tampering evidence
According to the petition, the torture facility that the former director general of NIA, Yankuba Badjie, allegedly erected at the NIA Investigation Unit has been removed, “and the room repainted to remove stains of blood”.
“This act amounts to tampering with evidence as investigation was being done into death of Solo Sandeng, one of many individuals who had undergone torture there,” the petition stated. “[With] the removal of the torture facility at the Investigations Unit, there is risk other such facilities constructed at SIS Safe-houses’ will be removed too.”
“Relative to this is the fact that most of the individuals said to have been be involved in the torture of Solo Sandeng and his co-UDP supporters are reporting to work without facing any consequences for their actions,” it added.
In the petition, Badjie also alleged that prosecution witnesses, Lamin Jobarteh and Lamin Fatty, are now sent to outside postings, “thus making their attendance at the trial a daunting task”.
Nine former NIA officials, including the former director general, are currently facing murder charges for the killing of Solo Sandeng and at some point, the prosecution was hindered for lack of enough evidence.
According to Badjie, in his petition, President Barrow should have been informed about the human, material and financial resources of the NIA, including dissemination of personnel and property in The Gambia and outside.
But this was not done as of the time of writing the petition and Badjie feared that it is a signal that the NIA tradition of non-accountability could be maintained.
NIA legal adviser said he deemed it imperative to write the petition to bring to the attention of President Adama Barrow the “very little progress” made in the reform process of the NIA.
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| 8 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| rassimian |
Posted - 15 Jun 2017 : 23:13:48
What is the difference between the NIA and the SIS. None that I have heard or read about. Both are repressive STATE institutions. |
| toubab1020 |
Posted - 15 Jun 2017 : 22:59:12
These are extremely serious allegations against the SIS,it is obvious in THE NEW GAMBIA of President BARROW that the TRUTH should ascertained with the minimum of delay by The Police and the Courts .
The Public of the Gambia must realise that it is not a satisfactory resolution of the allegations for the Point Newspaper alone to deal with matters that are in the public interest where complaint has been made. THE police INVESTIGATE and provide evidence.
The COURTS weigh the evidence presented on which they are OBLIGED to dispense JUSTICE.
That is not so say that the Media should not follow closely on developments in the progress of the investigations and fully report on anything that will not interfere with justice handed out by the courts. |
| Momodou |
Posted - 15 Jun 2017 : 17:30:10
Badjie says SIS operatives attempted to murder him
By Sanna Camara
The Point: Thursday, June 15, 2017
http://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/article/badjie-says-sis-operatives-attempted-to-murder-him
The legal adviser of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), now renamed State Intelligence Services (SIS), has filed a complaint against personnel of the agency for allegedly attempting to murder him.
Bubacarr A.M.O Badjie has also filed a separate complaint against the SIS director general, Ousman Sowe, for allegedly directing the destruction of the torture chamber at the SIS, thereby tampering with evidence that could be useful in the prosecution of SIS officials.
According to information reaching The Point, Lawyer Badjie filed the complaints earlier this week at the police headquarters in Banjul but he was referred to Kairaba Police Station where an investigation panel has been working to unearth the substance in the complaints earlier filed against him by his boss, Ousman Sowe.
The attempted murder complaint came as a result of the events that took place at Badjie’s house last week Friday, when operatives of the special operations unit attempted to arrest him.
These operatives were Pa Ebrima Faye, director of Special Operations, Alagie Ceesay, Officer Commanding Special Operations, Ebou Sanynag and one Mr. Kanyi all of the same unit, plus Kalilou Jammeh of Counter Intelligence Unit and Director General Ousman Sowe.
The second complaint, according to police sources, was filed against DG Ousman Sowe, whom Badjie holds responsible for the destruction of the torture chamber constructed by ex-DG Yankuba Badjie.
According to the complaint, the torture chamber holds valuable clues to a lot of cases of torture and alleged killings that took place under the roofs of the NIA.
When contacted last evening, Mr Badjie confirmed filing the two complaints to the police.
He elaborated on the case: “Last Wednesday, Alagie Ceesay and Ebou Sanyang first attempted to arrest me at my office but I refused because they have no such powers. This led to threats against me and so I had to go to the police headquarters to lodge a complaint. I was given two police escorts to accompany me to pick my files from the office.”
The following day, Thursday, Badjie said, the same attempted arrest and threat were repeated when he came to work, by which time his official phone lines were all disconnected by the Mr Sowe, the director general.
“On Friday around 7pm, a team of four operatives came to my house to arrest me again; I refused to come down, advising them to seriously consider the crime of killing Solo Sandeng that hangs over their heads. They responded that this happened while they were doing their job and I was about to witness my own if I come down from my house,” Badjie said.
The lawyer said he took these threats seriously considering the records of these operatives so he decided to file official complaints in the interest of justice and his own safety.
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| Momodou |
Posted - 14 Jun 2017 : 08:11:20
NIA LEGAL ADVISER DETAINED
Foroyaa: June 13, 2017
http://www.foroyaa.gm/archives/16009
The NIA (now called SIS) legal adviser, Mr Baboucarr A.M.O. Badgie is currently under detention at Kairaba Police Station.
According to reliable sources, an attempt by NIA personnel to arrest him was unsuccessful though he willingly submitted himself to the police when they went for him at his home led by a senior officer, Mr Abdoulie Sowe. Our information is that while the NIA personnel were attempting to arrest him he called the IGP to send his officers for him.
We are further informed that the Permanent Secretary PMO handed a letter of interdiction over to him soon after his arrest.
His arrest comes in the wake of a petition he wrote to the president which was published by Freedom Newspaper and The Point.
Mr Badgie is a lawyer by profession.
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| toubab1020 |
Posted - 13 Jun 2017 : 12:38:48
"He was initially to be arrested by the special operations unit personnel of the SIS but he refused, saying he would not subject himself to arrest by “agents whose hands are tainted with blood of innocent Gambians”."
Interior minister disassociates himself from ongoing NIA saga
Tuesday, June 13, 2017
Minister of the Interior Mai Ahmad Fatty has said that he did not authorise the arrest of Lawyer Baboucarr M.O Badjie or any other person of interest to law enforcement officers, neither was he consulted prior to Badjie’s arrest.
In a statement released via social media yesterday afternoon, Minister Fatty said although he takes full responsibility of the satellite institutions under his ministry, it would constitute a misconception of his role as interior minister to include the power of arrest, detention and prosecution.
Badjie’s arrest has caused a several reactions both locally and online, and the minister said he deemed it “useful to clarify the situation”.
“It would be wrong assumption to conclude that the Minister of Interior would be aware of every arrest or detention situation in the country. The Minster should not interfere in such matters,” he said.
Badjie released on bail
Meanwhile SIS’ lawyer Badjie has been released on bail by the police at about 4.30 pm yesterday after he turned down an initial bail condition, arguing that it was stringent.
“A bail bond of D1 million with two male sureties was exorbitant in my situation,” he said of the first bail condition.
“I am a senior officer of the agency [SIS] and my rank is equivalent to a Police Commissioner so I see no reason why my bail condition should be so stringent.”
Badjie said he also had security concerns which made him turn down the bail offer due to the presence of operatives of the SIS special operations unit and other people he identified to be close associates of ex-President Jammeh’s brother, Ansumana Jammeh at the station.
Badjie is subject of government investigations relating to alleged misconduct. His boss Ousman Sowe at the SIS accused him of leaking official secrets to the public.
Investigation panel comprising various personnel of the police are currently investigating to establish if the allegation advanced by Badjie’s boss is in fact true.
He was served with an interdiction letter from the Personnel Management Office at around 7pm on Friday. With the interdiction letter, he is suspended from work pending the outcome of the investigation.
Lawyer Badjie maintained that he is victim of a witch hunt by the head of the agency who he accused of unwilling to implement reforms as recommended by the new government. He also accused him of being reluctant to hand over all suspects in the murder of the Solo Sandeng.
However, the SIS, in reaction to the allegations, described Badjie as a “renegade officer” whose allegations constitute violations of official secretes.
Author: Sanna Camara
http://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/article/interior-minister-disassociates-himself-from-ongoing-nia-saga
© Copyright The Point Newspaper. All rights reserved.
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| Momodou |
Posted - 12 Jun 2017 : 21:19:20
Whistleblower Badjie subject of gov’t investigation
By Sanna Camara
The Point: Monday, June 12, 2017
http://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/article/whistleblower-badjie-subject-of-govt-investigation
 Bubacarr Badjie, legal adviser of the State Intelligence Services (SIS) who blew the whistle over the alleged lack of any serious reforms taking place at the agency in post-Jammeh Gambia, is the subject of latest investigations by The Gambia government.
Mr Badjie had been served with an interdiction notice from the Personnel Management Office (PMO), notifying him of his suspension over violation of the ethics of his job at the agency. Alleged violation is the leaking of official government correspondences to Freedom Newspaper Online.
The interdiction notice was issued following a complaint by the SIS director general Ousman Sowe to the PMO that Badjie was the one who leaked a petition to the online newspaper even before the President had the chance to see and respond to the petition which was written by Badjie himself.
Under the agency’s service regulations, DG Sowe cannot fire Mr Badjie as head of a department but could seek an interdiction from the PMO, which came easily after the complaint last week.
But Badjie vehemently denied leaking the petition to the online paper, saying he would “surely be vindicated” after the investigations are completed.
As part of the investigations, journalist Sanna Camara, author of the story from petition published in The Point last week, was summoned by the CID officers at Kairaba Station Police on Saturday afternoon to “clarify” his role in the leaking of the petition to Freedom Newspaper.
Mr Camara in his statement at the police denied having anything to do with Freedom Newspaper.
Meanwhile, Badjie maintained that he is subject of witch-hunt by the head of the agency who he accused of being unwilling to implement reforms recommended by the new government and specially reluctant to hand over all suspects in the murder of Solo Sandeng.
However, the agency reacted to the allegation, describing Badjie as a “renegade officer” whose allegations constitute violations of official secret.
Badjie was picked up by officers of the Criminal Investigations Department after he was served with the interdiction letter at around 7pm last Friday.
He was initially to be arrested by the special operations unit personnel of the SIS but he refused, saying he would not subject himself to arrest by “agents whose hands are tainted with blood of innocent Gambians”.
He opted to be arrested by the police instead and it was the police who eventually arrested him and took him to Kairaba Station. |
| toubab1020 |
Posted - 09 Jun 2017 : 13:09:36
There is always supposed to be two sides to every story.In order to be fair it is only right that all sides should have their say.
In order to do this here is what is developing now.
"The petition, written by Bubacarr A.M.O Badjie, legal adviser of the NIA – now referred to as the State Intelligence Services, has it that most of the functionally illiterate NIAs got their employment through nepotism for they were recruited by past and present NIA directors, former army generals and Pa Bojang, a cousin to former President Yahya Jammeh."
NIA refutes 60% illiteracy claim
Friday, June 09, 2017
 The National Intelligence Agency (NIA), now State Intelligence Services, has strongly refuted and debunked the allegation by its own legal adviser that 60 per cent of the personnel of the agency are functional illiterates.
The refutation of the SIS comes in the wake of the a publication by this medium of a petition, dated 22 May 2017, by Bubacarr A.M.O Badjie, legal adviser to NIA, which was sent to the Office of the President and copied to the Gambia Bar Association, Inspector General of Police and Director General of SIS. A copy of it has been obtained by The Point newspaper as well.
In the petition, as published yesterday, Thursday, with the caption “More than 60% of NIAs ‘illiterate”, Mr Badjie said more than 60 per cent of the personnel of the SIS “are functionally illiterate” who can neither read nor understand English language.
He claimed that most of the functionally illiterate NIAs got their employment through nepotism for they were recruited by past and present NIA directors, former army generals and Pa Bojang, a cousin to former President Yahya Jammeh.
However, in a swift reaction, the Office of Strategic Communication of SIS issued a statement describing its legal adviser as “a renegade officer” and that his allegation of 60 per cent illiteracy is not only untrue but also constitute violations of the official secrets.
Below we reproduce the reaction from the SIS verbatim.
RESPONSE ON MORE THAN 60% OF SIS WORKFORCE ARE ILLITERATE
The Office of Strategic Communication wishes to draw attention to your publication of 60% of NIA Officers are illiterate and state that statement is untrue. As literally speaking an illiterate is someone who cannot read and write. Applicant would write and sign before been employed, Contrary to the picture painted by Bubacarr A.M.O Badjie a renegade officer.
The NIA (now SIS) has its staff graduates ranging from as Masters, Bachelors, HTC, Post Graduate Diplomas in various areas, and other skilled officers.
Having set the records straight, please allow us to most unequivocally condemn the behavior of Bubacarr A.M.O Badjie who has without respect to the demands of national security and secrecy made allegations that are untrue yet constitute violations of the official secrets and code of conduct binding on all active and serving officers of this intelligence service.
Meanwhile, because of the sensitivities surrounding other matters he went on to discuss in his publication the SIS would out of consideration for professionalism and secrecy prefer not to comment on those areas.
OFFICE OF STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION
STATE INTELLIGENCE SERVICE
Source: Picture: Director General of SIS Ousman Sowe
http://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/article/nia-refutes-60-illiteracy-claim
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| toubab1020 |
Posted - 08 Jun 2017 : 17:52:38
The rectification of the outstanding matter as outlined above MUST BE MADE SWIFTLY,this entails ACTION being taken and Not long discussions taking taking place in the hope that people will forget and business can continue as before,how exactly this can be achieved in a culture that has such ingrained thoughts,I do not know. |
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