Gambia News : High profile court case against Gambian journalists awaits judgement

This followed a five hour court session during which the defence made their final addresses before High Court judge Emmanuel Fagbenle who then adjourned the court to prepare his judgement for Wednesday.

This celebrated case arose from the publication of a statement issued by the President of the Gambia Press Union, Ndey Tapha Sosseh in reaction to remarks made by President Yahya Jammeh about the unsolved murder of veteran journalist Deyda Hydara of The Point newspaper.

Publication of Sosseh’s rejoinder resulted in the arrest of Pap Saine, Editor of The Point and his deputy Ebrima Sawaneh; Sam Sarr, editor of Foroyaa and his deputy Emil Touray (who is also Secretary General of the Gambia Press Union); Sarata Jabbi Dibba, Vice President of the Press Union and the treasuer Pa Modou Faal. A seventh accused person, Abubacar Saidykhan, who was arrested for taking photographs of the police while arresting Sam Sarr, was earlier dischared and acquitted by the judge.

This case has been widely condemned in press and human rights circles around the world with the Rapporteur General of the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights among others making representation to the Gambian President to drop the charges against the journalists.

The government, determined in President Yahya Jammeh’s own words to prosecute the case to the letter, has instead acted with speed moving the case from the magistrates court to the special criminal division of the High Court, that handles cases with despatch and that has since sat almost daily to bring the trial to a close.

At Monday’s session, the defence made their final submissions before Justice Fagbenle. The defence team, led by lawyer Lamin Camara, while Sam Sarr represented himself, argued against the charges of conspiracy, sedition and criminal defamation levied against the journalists. This followed last Friday’s court session at which the Director of Public Prosecutions, Richard Chenge, made his final address in the government’s case against the accused.

The case is by far the most extended one against such a record number of journalists at any one time in history of the country. If found guilty, the journalists face a heavy fine on each charge or imprisonment of not less than six months imprisonment, or both fine and imprisonment.

The punishment for sedition can also include the confiscation by the court of the printing machine on which the seditious material was printed for up to a year.

Such a fate for the beleagured and still struggling Gambian press can spell total disaster leaving journalists except those working for state media, and their profession, in a precarious situation.