Ousainou Told Me He Kill 2 Police Officers

Courtsy of the Voicegambia.com Mama Jabbi a business woman and marabout Tuesday told the Banjul High Court that the first accused Ousainou Bojang had confessed to her of killing two PIU officers with third one admitted hospital. Appearing before Justice Ebrima Jaiteh as third prosecution witness Mama narrated how Bojangconfessed to her in Jululung of the alleged police shooting incident which took place on 12th September 2023 at Sukuta /Jabang Traffic Light. The witness said Ousainou Bojang met her at her compound in Jululung on a Wednesday at 2pm two months ago. Mama explained that Ousainou Bojang left the Gambia and went to Jululung garage where he met the leader of the garage and told him that he needed help because something mistakenly happened and he was directed to her Mama Jabbi’s house. Upon arrival, Mama said Ousainou alighted from the commercial motor cycle, and was quick to say that she was shocked upon seeing the accused Ousainou Bojang. “I then told my friend that this man did something and that was when Ousainou told methat I need your help with an amulet and also fare to go to Zingchoror because I killed two police officers and the other one is admitted at the hospital” she told the court. Jabbi told the court that Ousainou asked for water to perform ablution, and she gave him water and praying mat but he (Ousainou) sat on it and did not pray.

“He then told me help me my life has been destroyed and I asked him his name and address and he told me that his name is Ousainou Bojang and a resident of Brufut, then I took a picture of him and a recorded him. He said to me don’t record me on video and I told him okay I will not’’ she said. Mama further explained that Ousainou asked her to help him “but I told him that I could not help you because killing someone was too extreme.’’ I said to him wait for me then I left and called the Senegalese police and asked if they were aware of the murder that took place in Gambia, they said yes, they were aware of it and they asked me if I have his (Ousainou)’s picture and voice recorded. I responded that I have the picture and the audio with me then they asked me to share with them. Jabbi said she was told by the Senegalese police to sit and wait for them but should not allow Ousainou to know that they were coming to her (Mama’s) house. She added that they were seated when theSenegalese Police Officer came hand curved Ousainou’s hand and put him in a vehicle. “After that I called Musa Camara in the Gambia who works at Gambia Revenue Authority, then I told him that the person who killed the police officers was here with me, Musa Camara told me to wait let him call the police. later after calling the police Musa called me and told me lets meet at Jiboro, upon my arrival at Jiboro, I met with the Gambian Police and Musa Camaraand returned back with them to Jululung” she informed the court. She said upon their arrival at Jululung police station, she went and sat somewhere until when the Gambia police officers and Jululung officers finished talking, adding that the Senegalese Soldiers and the Gambia police officers together with Ousainou took a picture and put him in the Senegalese vehicle and took him to the border and the Gambia police took him from there and they continued to Gambia while she was inMusa Camara’s vehicle.The matter was adjourned to 20th November 2023 at 10am for cross- examination of PW3Mama Jabbi Courtsy of the Voicegambia.com

Baitullah Junior’s Sedition Trial

Justice Ebrima Jaiteh of Banjul High Court on Monday granted an adjournment for the state lawyers to bring the third prosecution witness (pw3) in an alleged sedition trial involving Omar Kujabi. Kujabi who is known as Baitullah Junior, with seditious intend made several WhatsApp audios calling on people to go out onto the streets and march to the State House to unlawfully remove President Adama Barrow. The charges he denied. When the case was called by the clerk yesterday for the hearing of the testimony of the third prosecution witness (pw3), the state’s lead lawyer FatoumataDrammeh told the court that they were unable to secure pw3 and she applied for the court to grant them an adjournment. But defense lawyer Lamin J Darboe, who was not opposed to the State lawyer’s application, made the court quickly adjourned the matter for today (Tuesday), for the hearing of the testimony of the third prosecution witness. It could be recalled that Omar Kujabi sometime in September and October 2022 in Kafuta Village and diverse places in the West Coast Region of the Republic of The Gambia, was alleged to have intimidated and annoyed as well as threatened to assault officers of the Police Intervention Unit (PIU), who were sent to arrest him. He is also accused of causing fear and alarm to the public through his WhatsApp and internet platforms.

Paulo Djabi drug case Set For Judgement

The High Court in Banjul presided over by Justice Achibonga will deliver judgment on the issue of jurisdiction of the drug case involving Paulo Djabi, Nadine Perira, Mamadu Neto Djabi and Secuna Djabi. It would be recalled that on 13 September 2023, the accused persons were arraigned before the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court on charges of narcotics offences, money laundering and related offences contrary to various sections of the Drug Control Act, 2003 and the Anti-money Laundering and Combating of Terrorist Financing Act, 2012. The respondents (the accused) took their plea and pleaded not guilty to all the offences charged. After plea taking, the appellant's Counsel (the State) applied for the respondents to be remanded in prison custody for want of jurisdiction to hear and determine the money laundering offences. However, the appellant's application was opposed by the respondents' counsel on the basis that the Magistrates' Courts have jurisdiction to hear and determine the offences of money laundering and consequently applied for bail on behalf of the respondents. After hearing both submissions of the counsel, the learned Principal Magistrate agreed with the position of the respondents' counsel and admitted the respondents to bail. The appellant was dissatisfied with the decisions of the Magistrates' Court and filed a notice and grounds of appeal and motion seeking for stay of execution of the bail, which was granted as prayed pending the hearing and determination of the appeal. The High Court ordered that the hearing of the appeal be expedited and records of proceedings settled within 14 days. On 1st November 2023, the High Court gave some days to the state counsel to file their brief in response to the record of appeal and within which defence counsel were instructed to file their reply within a few days. Yesterday, Counsel L. Jarjue, who appeared for the state, filed their brief of argument, stating that the subordinate courts lacked jurisdiction to interpret and determine any provision of the Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Act, 2012, which was one of the offences the accused were charged with. Counsel L. Jarjue further argued that a higher court could interfere as the learned Magistrate had no jurisdiction and wrongly exercised his discretion judicially and judiciously in the case thus urged the court to allow the appeal and set aside the decision of the lower court in its entirety.

Defence lawyer S. Tambadou, filed their brief of appeal arguing that the fact that “the respondents are foreign nationals is not borne out by the record”, adding that “nowhere is it stated in any part of the record that the respondents are foreign nationals”. He argued that the only reason that the appellant opposed bail in the Kanifing Magistrates' Court was that the court lacked jurisdiction to try offences under the Anti-Money Laundering and Combating of Terrorist Financing Act, which was captured in the ruling of the learned Principal Magistrate. Counsel Tambadou urged the court to resolve the issue in favour of the respondents and held that the learned Principal Magistrate was right to grant bail to the accused. He further urged the court to dismiss the appeal. The presiding Judge, Justice Achibonga, adopted the briefs of both counsel and set 22 November 2023 on judgement on the issue by the lower court.

Immigrations Dept Ready to Tackle Backway Journey

The Gambia Immigration Department (GID) has vowed to end irregular migration before the end of the year as they launched ‘Operation Zero Departure’ to close down irregular immigration routes in the coastal areas. The operation was unveiled on Thursday, 9 November following the recent high seas tragedies involving many Gambian youth. ‘Operation Zero Departure’ is a nationwide operation that aims to prevent boats from leaving the Gambia. Commissioner Sulayman Kujabi said the primary target of the operation and the patrol is the human smugglers widely regarded as the ‘agents’. Commissioner Kujabi said the patrol team will conduct a 24-hour patrol, adding that the Police Intervention Unit (PIU) will support them. Kujabi stated that they would be prosecuting the smugglers. He said his office would engage in sensitization of people about the dangers of using the perilous journey to Europe, calling on the fisher folks to stop aiding the people who want to embark on the dangerous journey. Fishermen have been accused of helping in transporting migrants to their main boats that are usually stationed in the high sea. The Immigration Commissioner of Operation, BabucaarxJanneh, said they intercepted twenty-seven boats that aimed to leave the country. ‘Some boats have escaped and that led to loss of lives,’ he said.

Janneh said they have recently prevented one hundred and fifty (150) people from boarding a boat in Kartong. He added that they have also stopped dozens of youths in Sutusinja and Bonto in the West Coast Region from leaving the country. Janneh explained that the migrants use numerous waterways to leave the country. ‘They are leaving through all waterways in the country,’ he said. Commissioner Janneh urged immigration officers to patrol in groups to avoid being attacked by the migrants, adding that some of their officers were attacked by migrants in Bakau and Barra when they attempted to stop them from leaving the country. Janneh lamented that irregular migration is killing many young Gambians. ‘If we don’t stop this, we will lose the next generation of our youth,’ Janneh said. He said they are intensifying their patrols along coastal areas in a view to deter the migrants from using the coast to travel. He underscored that they have received (7) new vehicles for the patrols and the GID is striving to have effective patrols along the water. Janneh unveiled that they have one hundred (100) plain-clothes immigration officers who are gathering intelligence on all irregular migration routes. ‘We are not saying no to migration, but we are saying no to irregular migration. And it has to stop,’ he emphasised.

The Commissioner of the West Coast Region, Mariama Nyang, said the Operation will bring together the GID, the police and the Gambia Navy. She promised the operation would conduct constant patrols because the loss of the recent boat tragedy has ‘hit’ the country hard. She added that they will leave no place for irregular migrants to use because the country is losing a whole generation. She informed the press that the patrols would be informed by the intelligence gathered by their officers. She further added that the operation zero departure will cover all areas in the country, from Kartong to Koina

Barrow Reiterated Gambia’s Support For Palestine

President Adama Barrow has reiterated the Gambia’s support for Palestine as he called for an immediate unconditional ceasefire to prevent more bloodshed. “The Gambia is committed to finding political and economic solutions to creating a just, peaceful, and better world for all. Therefore, we reiterate our support for our Palestinian brothers and sisters and call for an immediate unconditional ceasefire to prevent more bloodshed,” the Gambian leader stressed as he delivered a statement at the 8th OIC Extraordinary Islamic Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. “The Palestinian people have been fighting for their rights for over seventy-five (75) years. As we speak, there is a huge loss of life and injuries to many innocent citizens, including women and children in Palestine. The massive destruction of property is unimaginable,” President Barrow bemoaned. “In our view, the best option for a peaceful settlement of this dispute is a Comprehensive Peace Accord based on the “two-state solution”, with Israel and Palestine existing as two independent sovereign states, side by side in peace, justice, and harmony. We re-echo our call to give peace a chance by demonstrating commitment, solidarity, and cooperation,” he underlined. He continued: “We call for an urgent International Peace Conference for a lasting solution to the Palestinian problem. Meanwhile, we appeal to the International Community to compel the occupying force to abide by the tenets of the peace process, International Law, International Humanitarian Law, and UN Security Council Resolutions. Long Live peace, stability, and good neighborliness between Israel and Palestine!” Meanwhile, addressing the Africa-Saudi Summit in Riyadh, President Barrow applauded the efforts made to sustain the “excellent” fraternal ties between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and The Gambia. “Our laudable and mutually beneficial consultative and cooperation initiatives clearly manifest this. Our shared values have cemented our relations as members of many global and regional organizations to uplift human dignity and improve our socio-economic environment. Through such networks, we continue to renew our commitment to the cause of humanity, peace, and stability. In this respect, we thank the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for their numerous humanitarian interventions in The Gambia and invaluable contributions to the welfare of our people. In particular, we thank the Kingdom for all the funding we received through the Saudi Fund for Development to host the 15th OIC Summit in The Gambia,” the Gambian leader acknowledged. He gave Saudi Arabia the assurance that The Gambia supports the Kingdom in hosting the 2030 EXPO, expressing joy that the Kingdom has acquired the right to do so. He pointed out that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia equally deserves to host the FIFA World Cup in 2034. “We congratulate them heartily!” he stated. “I must, at this Summit, reiterate our continued solidarity with the Kingdom to confront threats against its sovereignty and security. Also, we support their efforts to normalise relations with their neighbours. As peace-loving countries, The Gambia and Saudi Arabia share a similar vision for global peace,” the President emphasized. He commended the Kingdom for their peace endeavors in Sudan and expressed appreciation for the evacuation to Jeddah of Gambian nationals trapped in Khartoum at the outbreak of the conflict. President Barrow said that The Gambia looks forward to new openings to boost its relationship through Agreements on the Avoidance of Double Taxation and Recruitment of Public and Domestic Workers following the Air Transport Services and Bilateral Cooperation signed between the two countries, “In addition, signing a Memorandum of Understanding on Exemption of Visa for Saudi Nationals will further enhance travel and investment opportunities in The Gambia. Like the Kingdom under its “Vision 2030”, The Gambia Government is prioritising such sectors as agriculture, the digital economy, and tourism to achieve the sustainable development goals. Additionally, to attract more domestic and Foreign Direct Investments, we have legal frameworks that guarantee the protection of investments and businesses in The Gambia,” he added. The Gambian leader said hosting the Saudi-Africa and Arab-Africa Summits in Riyadh indicates the commitment to the development aspirations of Africa. “I hope the Summit will build on the foundation already laid between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the continent and will take full advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area initiative. We expect that it will also unlock the potential of millions of people to contribute to the continent’s sustainable economic development goals,” he added. He underscored that The Gambia supports the UN Resolution, calling for the unconditional ceasefire and release of all hostages. “Likewise, we call for an International Peace Conference for Comprehensive Peace to resolve the fight for a Two-State Solution, with Palestinians and Israelis living side-by-side in peace and harmony. Meanwhile, we wish our Palestinian brothers and sisters victory in their quest for Sovereignty and full Independence,” he stated.

Horrifying cases of torture and degrading treatment of Palestinian

Israeli authorities have dramatically increased their use of administrative detention, a form of arbitrary detention, of Palestinians across the occupied West Bank; extended emergency measures that facilitate inhuman and degrading treatment of prisoners; and failed to investigate incidents of torture and death in custody over the past four weeks, Amnesty International said today. Since 7 October, Israeli forces have detained more than 2,200 Palestinian men and women, according to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club. According to Israeli human rights organization HaMoked between 1 October and 1 November, the total number of Palestinians held in administrative detention, without charge or trial, rose from 1,319 to 2,070. Testimony from released detainees and human rights lawyers, as well as video footage and images illustrate some of the forms of torture and other ill-treatment prisoners have been subjected to by Israeli forces over the past four weeks. These include severe beatings and humiliation of detainees, including by forcing them to keep their heads down, to kneel on the floor during inmate count, and to sing Israeli songs. “Over the last month we have witnessed a significant spike in Israel’s use of administrative detention – detention without charge or trial that can be renewed indefinitely – which was already at a 20-year high before the latest escalation in hostilities on 7 October. Administrative detention is one of the key tools through which Israel has enforced its system of apartheid against Palestinians. Testimonies and video evidence also point to numerous incidents of torture and other ill-treatment by Israeli forces including severe beatings and deliberate humiliation of Palestinians who are detained in dire conditions,” said Heba Morayef, Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

Over the last month we have witnessed a significant spike in Israel’s use of administrative detention – detention without charge or trial that can be renewed indefinitely – which was already at a 20-year high before the latest escalation in hostilities on 7 October. Heba Morayef, Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa “The summary killings and hostage-taking by Hamas and other armed groups on 7 October are war crimes and must be condemned as such, but Israeli authorities must not use these attacks to justify their own unlawful attacks and collective punishment of civilians in the besieged Gaza Strip and the use of torture, arbitrary detention and other violations of the rights of Palestinian prisoners. The prohibition against torture can never be suspended or derogated from, including – and especially – at times like these.” Amnesty International researchers interviewed 12 people, including six released detainees, three relatives of detainees, and three lawyers working on recent arrests. Researchers also reviewed testimonies shared by other released detainees and analysed video footage and images. Torture and humiliation Amnesty International has for decades documented widespread torture by Israeli authorities in places of detention across the West Bank. However, over the past four weeks, videos and images have been shared widely online showing gruesome scenes of Israeli soldiers beating and humiliating Palestinians while detaining them blind-folded, stripped, with their hands tied, in a particularly chilling public display of torture and humiliation of Palestinian detainees. In one image analysed by Amnesty International’s Crisis Evidence Lab, three Palestinian men, blindfolded and stripped of their clothes can be seen beside a soldier, wearing a green olive uniform like those worn by the Israeli ground forces. A Haaretz investigation published on 19 October found that the image was taken in Wadi al-Seeq, a village East of Ramallah, on 12 October. One of the three victims depicted in the photograph told Amnesty International that he had initially been held and beaten by settlers but two hours later an Israeli military jeep arrived: “One of the Israeli officers who came, approached me and kicked me on my left side, then jumped on my head with his two legs pushing my face further into the dirt and then continued kicking me as I was head down, into the dirt, with my hands tied behind my back. He then got a knife and tore all of my clothes off except for my underwear and used part of my torn clothes to blindfold me. The beating to the rest of my body did not stop, at one point he started jumping on my back – three or four times – while yelling ‘die, die you trash’ … in the end before this finally stopped, another officer urinated on my face and body while also yelling at us ‘to die’.” The beating to the rest of my body did not stop, at one point he started jumping on my back – three or four times – while yelling ‘die, die you trash’ … in the end before this finally stopped, another officer urinated on my face and body while also yelling at us ‘to die’. A victim attacked by Israeli settlers and military in East Ramallah Amnesty International also spoke to two women who were arbitrarily detained for 14 hours at a police station in occupied East Jerusalem where they were humiliated, strip-searched, mocked and asked to curse Hamas. They were later released without charges. In a video first published on social media on 31 October and analysed by Amnesty International’s Crisis Evidence Lab, nine detained men, who based on identifiable accents are Palestinian, can be seen, some stripped naked and others half-naked, blindfolded and handcuffed, surrounded by at least 12 soldiers wearing olive green uniforms and equipped with either M4A1 or Tavor X95 assault rifles. Both uniforms and weapons are standard issue equipment of the Israeli ground forces. One of the soldiers is seen kicking one of the detainees in the head. Another video analysed by Amnesty’s Crisis Evidence Lab uploaded to platform X (formerly Twitter) on 31 October shows a blindfolded person, likely Palestinian, along with an Israeli army sergeant mocking the prisoner and dancing around him. A recently released Palestinian detainee from occupied East Jerusalem, who spoke to Amnesty International on condition of anonymity, said how Israeli interrogators subjected him and other detainees at the Russian Compound (al-Maskoubiyeh), a detention center in Jerusalem, to severe beatings which left him with bruises and three broken ribs. He also highlighted how Israeli police interrogators beat them continuously on their heads yelling at them to always keep their heads down, while ordering them to “praise Israel and curse Hamas.” He added: “even when one of the 12 detainees with us in the cell did that, the beating and humiliation did not stop.” Since 7 October, according to the Israeli authorities, four Palestinian detainees have died in Israeli detention facilities in circumstances that have not yet been impartially investigated. Two of the four are workers from the occupied Gaza Strip, held incommunicado by the Israeli army in military detention centres, whose deaths were only made public by the army after an inquiry by Israeli newspaper Haaretz. Under international law, torture and other ill-treatment committed against protected persons in an occupied territory is a war crime. The detention of protected persons outside the occupied territory, as is the case of Palestinian prisoners from the OPT held in Israel, is also a violation of international humanitarian law as it amounts to forcible transfer. Inhuman and degrading treatment in prisons The Israeli Prison Service informed human rights group HaMoked that as of 1 November it is holding 6,809 Palestinian prisoners. On 31 October, the Israeli authorities extended by one month the “state of emergency in prisons” which grants Israel’s National Security Minister virtually unrestrained powers to deny sentenced prisoners access to visits by lawyers and family members; to hold detainees in overcrowded cells; to deny them outdoor exercise and to impose cruel collective punishment measures such as cutting off water and electricity for long hours, effectively allowing for the intensification of cruel and inhuman treatment of detainees, in violation of the prohibition of torture and other ill-treatment. The International Committee for the Red Cross has confirmed that Palestinian prisoners have been denied contact with their families and lawyers since 7 October. Sanaa Salameh, the wife of terminally ill Palestinian prisoner Walid Daqqah, told Amnesty International that since 7 October neither she nor Daqqah’s attorney has been allowed to see him or to receive information about his health condition. “I don’t know if he is receiving the medical care he needs; I have absolutely no contact with him, I don’t even have a scrap of information to comfort me,” she told Amnesty. Palestinian lawyer Hassan Abadi, who has been visiting at least four detainees every week since 7 October, told Amnesty International that Palestinian detainees have been denied their right to outdoor exercise and that one of the forms of humiliation to which they are subjected during inmate count is being forced to kneel on the floor. He added that Palestinians in detention have had all their personal belongings confiscated and at times burned, including books, diaries, letters, clothes, food and other items. Palestinian women prisoners in al-Damon prison have had their sanitary pads confiscated by prison authorities. According to Abadi, a client he is representing told him that when she was detained and blindfolded at Kiryat Arba police station near Hebron an officer threatened her with rape. Spike in arbitrary detention Administrative detention of Palestinians had been on the rise throughout 2023, reaching 1,319 on 1 October 2023, according to HaMoked. As of 1 November, this figure had increased to more than 2,070 Palestinians detained and held in administrative detention. Palestinians classified by Israel as “security inmates” are often held without charge or trial, mostly under administrative detention orders that can be renewed indefinitely every six months. Administrative detention is a form of detention under which individuals are detained by state authorities based on secret security grounds that the defendant and their lawyer cannot review, effectively circumventing due process guaranteed for all persons deprived of their liberty under international law. Amnesty International has found that Israel has systematically used administrative detention as a tool to persecute Palestinians, rather than as an extraordinary and selectively used preventative measure. Israeli authorities have also chosen to implement the “Unlawful Combatants” Law, a category which is not recognised by international law, to indefinitely hold without charge or trial at least 105 Palestinians from the occupied Gaza Strip, who entered Israel during the Hamas led attack on 7 October. It remains unclear how many of those are held in connection with the attacks. Israeli judicial authorities must also impartially and independently investigate complaints of torture and other ill-treatment and prosecute in fair trials those responsible for ordering and carrying out torture. Heba Morayef, Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa Israeli authorities have also subjected thousands of Palestinians from Gaza with permits to enter Israel, mostly workers, to a third form of arbitrary detention where they were held incommunicado for at least three weeks on two military detention bases in Israel and the West Bank. Many were released, however, there is no transparency from Israeli authorities around how many are still detained. “Israeli authorities must immediately reverse the inhumane emergency measures imposed on Palestinian prisoners and grant them immediate access to their lawyers and families. All Palestinians arbitrarily detained must be released. We urge Israel to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross to conduct urgent visits to prisons and detention facilities and to monitor conditions for Palestinian detainees,” said Heba Morayef. “Israeli judicial authorities must also impartially and independently investigate complaints of torture and other ill-treatment and prosecute in fair trials those responsible for ordering and carrying out torture.