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Momodou
Denmark
11833 Posts |
 Posted - 27 Jun 2007 : 23:09:24
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FATOU JAW MANNEH’S TRIAL
WITNESS CROSS EXAMINED
By Fabakary B. Ceesay
Mr. Basiru Gassama, the second prosecution witness (PW2) in the trial of journalist Fatou Jaw Manneh, on Monday 25 June was cross examined by the defence counsel. The case was heard at the Kanifing Magistrates Court presided over by Magistrate Buba Jawo.
In his evidence in Chief, Mr. Gassama said he is the security manager at the Sun Beach Hotel and Resort and has been working there since 1993. He said he never travelled out of the country from 1993 until 2005. Gassama said since 1994, three presidential elections were contested through the ballot box which were won by Yaya AJJ Jammeh. Mr. Gassama said development under the two regimes is not comparable, that is, the present regime and the former PPP government in terms of development. He cited the development projects such as higher education and free education for girls. He also mentioned road constructions, such as the Kombo Coastal Road, Farafenni-Laminkoto road, the Kerewan Bridge and roads in Bakau.
He noted that he does listen to news and reads news on newspapers and on the internet inorder to know what is happening in and outside the country. He added that he watches GRTS, adding, “Which we never dream of having”; that this was brought by the present government.
During cross examination, defence counsel Lamin S. Jobarteh asked the accused whether he has travelled to Basse via mandinaba. Mr. Gassama responded that he did not travel from Mandinaba to Basse during the past three months. He added that he does not know the road condition there. When asked about the road condition from Sukuta to Westfield Mr. Gassama said he cannot recall the last time he travelled from West Field to Sukuta. “What about Barra to Amdalaye”, he stressed that the road from Barra to Amdalaye is in a very good state. When asked about Tipper Garage to the Serrekunda Police Station. Gassama responded that he cannot tell the condition of the Tipper Garage road. When he was asked to comment on roads in Bakau, he said since APRC came to power, many roads were constructed in Bakau. Gassama indicated that he was appointed as security manager in 2000.
At this point, the court warned Mr. Gassama to stand properly in the box and stop idling about in the box.
When he was asked to produce his appointment letter before the court, Gassama started shouting on top of his voice. He was visibly raging with anger and thus retorted, “I cannot produce any appointment letter, that is confidential and my earning, I can produce my Identity card as a security manager, I will not do it by any means.”
At this point, Mr. Gassama was sweating form head downwards until his green gown (kaftan) was soaked with sweat. He was turning about in the witness box until he knocked down the two holy books (bible and the Quran), on the floor and he kept on shouting.
Defence Counsel Lamin Jobarteh, kept on telling the prosecution and the court to warn the witness. When Jobarteh put it to him whether he had once been admitted at the Psychiatric Clinic at Campama in Banjul, Mr. Gassama responded angrily by shouting back “I am 100% well, your worship, he is provoking me, I will not allow my integrity to be tarnished in public like that. I was never at Campama, this is an insult. I will not take this kind of questions.” At this juncture, the court decided to adjourn the matter.
The first witness, the NIA officer (name withheld) was also called by the defence for re-examination. The NIA man said he never saw the accused person speaking to anybody with regards to the matter. He said he never heard her utter any seditious statements, but that she admitted granting seditious interview. He added that the accused has not mentioned any names or any person to whom she granted the interview to, but that she did mention the newspaper. He said he cannot show the court where she did mention the name of the newspaper on the exhibits. The NIA man admitted that he did not ask her to put it in the statement, the name of the newspaper she granted the interview to. He said he already knew the name of the newspaper which is the Independent. He was asked to read out the portion which it was indicated, Independent.
He read as thus, “now living in the United States, Fatou’s fiery zeal with the pen could still be gleaned from her despatches to the Independent.” He said the word “despatches” could be an interview, he added despatches means, “Sending something from one place to another.” He later admitted that there is nothing on Exhibit B that says independent newspaper. “I am putting it to you that the word despatches is completely different from an interview.” He answered in the negative. The NIA man said interviews are in different forms and “that is either by telephone, answering of questionnaires and one to one interview or facial.” Counsel Jobarteh put it to him that the most he did was to read part of Exhibit A, but that he did not know anything before the court. The NIA man admitted that when he was in a questioning and answering session with her, he was not taking notes. Jobarteh said, “That shows how inefficient you are.”
At this point, there was an objection from the state counsel, E.O. Fagbenle, that the question was meant to embarrass the witness and it is also an insult. He said the counsel is annoying the witness by posing such questions. Defence Counsel, Jobarteh cited the law to back his question. He maintained that the court needs to know the credibility, efficiency and fitness of the witness to the matter he is testifying to. Magistrate Jawo over-ruled his question and said “the question should not be allowed,” Jobarteh posed another critical question; that the NIA officer has failed in his duty, but the court ruled that the witness is not bound to answer that question as well, but the witness responded and said he did not fail in his duties.
Jobarteh said, “Am putting it to him that he is an untruthful witness and that she never told him that she had granted an interview to anybody neither a newspaper.” The NIA officer stressed that he is truthful, but admitted that Fatou Jaw Manneh never told him the name of any person or newspaper to which she granted the interview to.
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No. 74/2007, 27-28 June 2007
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Momodou
Denmark
11833 Posts |
Posted - 30 Jun 2007 : 22:43:06
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FATOU JAW MANNEH’S TRIAL
Witness Ends Testimony
By Fabakary B. Ceesay
The second prosecution witness (PW2), Mr. Basiru Gassama, in the sedition trial of Journalist Fatou Jaw Manneh, has ended his testimony, on Wednesday 27 June, before Magistrate Buba Jawo of the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court.
Mr. Gassama said he is somebody who used to advise people not to write anything that can tarnish the image of the country, either in the internet or newspapers; that anybody who wanted to know something about the country should come to the country. Asked if he knew Fatou Jaw Manneh, Gassama stressed that he does know the accused person, adding that seeing her does not mean knowing her. Gassama said he only came to know her when she appeared in the box and when her name was mentioned, but he never met her before. Asked as to whether he ever heard Fatou utter any seditious words, Basiru admitted that he had never heard Fatou Jaw Manneh say or utter any seditious statements to anybody, but said he had seen a publication written by her. He added that he saw the said publication at the NIA headquarters in Banjul. Asked if he was called to the NIA to see the publication, Gassama responded that he was not called to go to the NIA, but that he visited them. Basiru said he cannot remember the title of the article written by Fatou, adding, “There were numerous publications, but I can remember the one published in 2004 and 2005.” At this point, Mr. Gassama was irritated by the questions posed by the defence counsel, LS Jobarteh and he started to, questioned Jobarteh. Jobarteh told him that he is not in court to ask questions but to answer questions.
Magistrate Jawo intervened and warned the witness, he said, “You are not here to say what we are suppose to say, the counsel is here on legal matters and the questions are legal issues, you must listen and answer his questions as he asked, you cannot say what the counsel is suppose to say.”
Continuing, Basiru Gassama indicated that he never saw Fatou when she was writing that publication. He admitted that the said article was given to him by an old colleague at the NIA but cannot recall his name. Gassama noted that he cannot remember seeing any signature on that article, but that the name on the article was Fatou Jaw Manneh. He said by reading the article, he came to understand that Fatou is the author or the interviewee. He denied reading the said article at the NIA two months ago.
Asked to define the word frosty, Mr. Gassama said he read the said article and fully understood it, but cannot remember coming across the word “Frosty.” He added that he cannot recall the name of the publisher of the article. He also said he cannot recall the word “Glean” in the article, but instead “Fiery zeal” within the first paragraph, saying, “But I don’t know the meaning, because that was the first time I came across those words.” “What about riddled?” asked Jobarteh; Mr. Gassama responded that he cannot remember the word “Riddled” and did not know its meaning and that he did not know the meaning of “Peers.”
Jobarteh asked. “All those words are part of that article, then how did you understand the text of the article?” Gassama said, “These three words are not the only words in the article, there are simple English words in the text that one can understand, even those in primary six can read and understand, but there were some words you must go to the dictionary to find out the meaning, but I don’t have time to refer to the dictionary.” Mr. Gassama vehemently denied being treated at a mental clinic, saying. “It has never happened to me in my life.” Counsel Jobarteh read out a sentence to him from the said article, it reads as thus, “At a time when a generality of her peers were struggling to find their feet in a stereotypical Gambian environment, riddled with the vagaries of gender discrimination.” Gassama said it means, “At the time when Gambians are grouping together for gender equality.” “Am putting it to you that is not the correct interpretation of that sentence,” said Jobarteh. Gassama replied, “Well I don’t understand those big words.” Case adjourned for further hearing.
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No. 75/2007, 29 June – 1 July 2007 |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Karamba
United Kingdom
3820 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jul 2007 : 00:48:57
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This Basirou Gassama is one person who acts in the most agressive way with the belief that Jammeh is the law. He acts in general as though he is free to do or say anything so long as he stands a Jammeh supporter. he behaves rather insane and would even misbehave at burials. Such are the lot making up the APRC/July 22/Green Boys(men.) What is his link with NIA that he freely goes to read documents in their possession? His misbehavoiur in court goes to prove how he thinks being APRC/Green Man provides him the imunity. |
Karamba |
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