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Momodou
Denmark
11835 Posts |
 Posted - 12 May 2007 : 18:03:33
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Where Are Rambo and Kanyiba?
Counsels Debate In Court
By Baboucarr K. Sowe
The legal battle to end the nine month long detention of Kanyiba Kanyi and Ousman Jatta, alias Rambo on Wednesday and Thursday deepened at the High Court as both the state counsel and the counsel for the applicants continued to argue and counter argue.
The applicants’ counsel Ousainou Darboe early this week filed a writ of Habeas Corpus on the duo’s behalf inorder for the High Court to order their release.
Responding to the reply made by the state counsel Emmanuel Fagbenle, Counsel Darboe said that Abdourahman Bah who is a litigation clerk is not the right man sworn to the affidavit.
Darboe told the court that the then Secretary of State for the Interior, Baboucarr Jatta said that he is the one who ordered the arrest of both Kanyi and Rambo Jatta.
The defence counsel said that the ex-secretary of state told the Commonwealth Inter Party Committee that he ordered the arrest of Rambo because he is a problem and he did also order for Kanyi’s arrest for walking into a political meeting he was not invited to.
Darboe informed the court that ex-SoS Jatta said that keeping Rambo for sometime will tame him. He also said that Baboucarr Jatta said that the act of the opposition tantamounts to rioting and their legs will be shot at if they do so.
According to Darboe, Jatta said that it happens even in London and New York, which in his opinion are the father of democracy.
The lawyer said that it is a gross violation of the constitution for the police and the intelligence agency to keep somebody for months without trial.
He added that a High Court order on October 17, 2006, called for their release but the security forces did not obey the court order.
Darboe also told the court that the then SoS should not instruct the continuous detention of people simply because he has authority. He described the act as uncivilized and have no room in any democratic society.
For his part, state counsel Emmanuel Fagbenle, argued that the detainees are not with the authorities as claimed by the applicants.
The state lawyer stated that there is nobody to produce in court since they do not have the alleged detained persons.
The detainees, Kanyiba Kanyi and Ousman Jatta are alleged to have been arrested by the police and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) since September 2006.
Kanyiba is an employee of the Christian Children’s Fund (CCF) and a native of Bonto Village, Kombo East, while Jatta is a United Democratic Party (UDP) Councillor for Old Bakau and Cape Point Ward.
See also: http://www.gambia.dk/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2100
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No. 54/2007, 11 - 13 May, 2007
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