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Gambia News : Court remands Gambian opposition leader, former Pan-African parliamentarian
A magistrates’ court in Brikama, about 36 kilometres from Banjul, on Wednesday remanded a former Pan-African parliamentarian, who is also coordinator and former presidential candidate for the opposition National Alliance for Democracy and Development (NADD), Halifa Sallah, who is charged with spying and sedition.
He was remanded after he failed to meet the stringent bail conditions imposed by the court.
Sallah pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against him by the state, but the trial magistrate, Olajubutu Kayode granted him bail on condition that he should get three Gambian sureties, who must be two retired brigadiers general of the army or two retired inspectors general of police with eight years of retirement and a village head in the Western Region of the country where Brikama is the regional capital.
The prosecutors accused Sallah of controlling an unlawful procession in Makumbaya, a village about 14 kilometres from Banjul, holding an assembly in Makumbaya that could incite hatred or disaffection towards the government of The Gambia and collecting information that could be useful to the enemy.
Sallah was arrested on Sunday after he embarked on a fact finding mission to Makumbaya where people accused of practising witch craft were abducted by armed personnel and purported ‘witch hunters’, told his sympathizers at the court premises that he was prepared to go jail or die for the people of this country, and as a result nobody should sympathize with him.
Sallah said, “No one should cry for me. I know what I was doing and I know what it could lead to. If I have to go to jail or die for the freedom of others, then I am prepared to be the sacrificial lamb.”
He added, “I will not ask any retired military personnel to bail me, because I am a democrat and I don’t want to associate myself with undemocratic practices.
“I prefer being in jail than sitting outside and watching people’s rights being violated by others.”
Sallah’s arrest came in the wake of a hunt for people accused of practising witch craft being carried out by armed personnel and purported witch hunters who claim to have mystical powers. These ‘witch hunters’ usually arrest people and give them concoctions to drink which often result in some of their victims collapsing, defecating and urinating on themselves.
Sallah is expected back in court on 25th March 2007.
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- Release Sir Halifah Sallah as soon as posible! and stop messing up with the good Gambian politicians,lawyers and good georges we have. This man is dedicated to stand for humanity in general in his whole live. We need him out now in perfect health. He does`t belong to those cells. Stop developing hatred within the population before it grows. Haven`t you learned simple lessons from how past African crises started?
(Posted on March 15, 2009, 5:07 PM Abdoulie sillah)
- As a Gambian living in europe or abroard for many years,and coming every year at home to my lovely motherland Gambia,am not interstet in politics at all,and nor want to ba a politician in life,cus in europe i see and we have the worst of all politicians,whose intrest are greed like all other politicians,but in europe these politicians are also being kritisized and cheerd or loved,in things they do,and what goes on the political scene,and thats what politics is about,the freedom of speech,movement and assosiation in the or a country,in any way or the other of being harrassed in any way of form by anybody,police or political form,in abiding the laws,thatsTHE FUNDERMENTAL RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE,CITIZENS.(sect.25 of the constitution) And these rights i thought exist in my counrty as Gambia is and was always a peaceful beautiful lovely country. And to the news we recieve in europe that SIR HALLIFA SALLAH was arrested,has brought us gambians all over Europe and diaspora to a great concern,and we follow the news everyday and time back home,because the well being and health of SIR HALLIFA SALLAH,is in our great and highest atmost koncern,and our prayers to him and all gambians. So we are apealling to the government to release SIR HALLIFA SALLAH,as quickly as possible in good health. He is a well highly respected and honest man,who dedicated his whole life,to serve the Gambian people,a peace loving man,who is not only known in africa,but in the whole world.
AND HE DESERVES NOT THIS.
THANKS
(Posted on March 13, 2009, 7:42 AM mr njie)
- I called on the international community to speak to the deterioting human rights situation in the Gambia. This is a trend to eventual conflict, may go forbid, in this mostly stable African country. The current administration cannot get away with impunity by silencing people and even disappearances. This is how many conflicts started in the continent. The President of the Gambia, I hope you understand that you cannot continue to supress legitimate dissent in a democractic society. The world will not sit by and allow this to continue. I hope we all Gambians come together instead and focus on the development of the country. The government is for the people and our rights should be protected.
(Posted on March 12, 2009, 4:54 PM Jollof)
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