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Momodou
Denmark
11662 Posts |
 Posted - 14 Dec 2012 : 10:42:08
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A GOVERNMENT SHOULD LISTEN TO THE DICTATES OF THE CONSTITUTION BABA LEIGH’S ARREST WITHOUT TRIAL OR DISAPPEARANCE WITHOUT TRACE?
Foroyaa Editorial: Published on Wednesday, 12 December 2012
Someone may be tempted to say that Foroyaa is wasting its time trying to educate the Gambia Government on the Constitution since it does not want to learn. Foroyaa is not trying to teach the government it is holding it accountable to the people. A government should obey the dictates of its own constitution.
If it refuses to do so it could be fairly accused of impunity.
It is unfortunate that many people are still not informed that the principal role of the media in the Gambia is to hold the government accountable to the people. This should be so because it is the people who elect and remove governments from office. Those who followed the debate of the two candidates in the US Elections would have realised the importance of what Foroyaa is doing. How the candidates voted on issues which came to Congress was frequently mentioned. In short, in developed democracies each congressman or parliamentarian has a record of how one voted on the issues raised. Such records are put to the public so that they could decide how to vote.
Parliaments have power to combat impunity by impeaching presidents who violate constitutions. Where parliaments serve as rubber stamps, courts could protect the people. Where courts are ineffective the public could combat impunity by voting to change governments.
Foroyaa is therefore publishing every development so that on one hand, the Government will take note of its shortcomings, and on the other hand, the public would take note of its record as far as compliance with the dictate of the constitution is concerned.
Again Foroyaa wishes to reiterate that it is unlawful to detain Baba Leigh for more than 72 hours without taking him before a court or release him on bail. If the government is holding him he should be released. If the family cannot trace him at any detention centre then they should report his disappearance to the police for investigation.
The Government should not wait for anyone to put pressure on it to do what is dictated by the Constitution.
Source: Foroyaa
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Momodou
Denmark
11662 Posts |
Posted - 14 Dec 2012 : 10:45:46
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OPINIONS ON IMAM BABA LEIGH’S CONTINUOUS DETENTION
By Sulayman Bah
Foroyaa Published on Thursday, 13 December 2012
Nine days into the arrest and detention of the Imam of Kanifing Estate Mosque, Baba Leigh, which according to the local press has exceeded the 72 hours Constitutional requirement for holding a person in detention without Court order, people have started to express their concern on why he is still not released or charged and bailed.
International rights groups, the media and European Union have all raised concern over the continuous detention of the Gambian Imam and questioned the wisdom of the arrest of Amie Bensouda [earlier released on bail] and are calling for the immediate release of the religious leader.
In the wake of the detention of the Imam, which has also been dominating newspaper headlines recently, this reporter started to sound the views of the public.
"He should be released. He has been detained for more than 72 hours. It is against his right. It is an infringement of his constitutional right", said a middle aged man, during a random vox pop on the issue.
"It is against his constitutional right. The constitution clearly states it: When it goes beyond the limit of time of arrest, then he has grossly been wronged", said Alieu Sanneh, a student at The University Gambia (UTG), while condemning the detention beyond 72 hours and called Imam Baba Leigh's release or court appearance if he I charge with any crime.
"It is unacceptable. I have been hearing about people being arrested and denied access to family members and friends thus disappearing without trace in this peaceful country which is disheartening. My son who is in school buys newspapers and that is where I learned of Baba's arrest when he interpreted it to me from English. I call on the authorities responsible to look into this matter", said Sainabou Jatta, a mother-of-three, selling foodstuff under the scorching sun.
Baba Leigh's arrest coincides with a recent crackdown on four staffers of the Gambia judiciary on the back of a recent high profile apprehension of a female human lawyer, Amie Bensouda.
Lawyer Bensouda's arrest, though she is now on bail, was effected weeks after she led the defence in the alleged theft case involving the two top GAMCOTRAP officials and in which the women rights campaigners were eventually acquitted and discharged.
Conferred with an award in promoting women rights in Islam in the US in August, this year, Baba Leigh, it could be recalled, was one of the few eloquent outspoken scholars to have openly condemned the government execution of nine death row inmates – a move that has won him plaudits.
Source: Foroyaa
Related Topic: IMAMA BABA LEIGH DETAINED |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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kobo
United Kingdom
7765 Posts |
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