This Commission of Inquiry is a joke. What can they do? What are their
powers? If they cannot convict and punish criminals, then it is just a big
waste of time. It also shows a lack of sensitivity to the plight of the
people who lost their children on April 10 and 11. These poor families will
be paraded before the Commission to repeat what they already told the
Coroner and countless neighbors, journalists, politicians, law enforcement
authorities, Yaya etc. And saddest of all, what these families have to say
has very little relevance when deciding the crux of the matter i.e. who
ordered the murderous acts and who acted on those orders? The fact that
these parents love their children and their children were peace loving and
law abiding citizens may have some relevance in a civil suit. The relevance
here is minimal and has to be counter balanced with the pain and anguish
people suffer if they have to repeat these stories over and over again to
rubber stamp Commissions. What extra facts can the Commission unearth
different from those given to Ousman Jammeh? Cut the chase and bring the
common criminals before the regular criminal courts of The Gambia where they
belong or form a court-martial that can punish the soldier criminals. What
happened to the promise of the attorney general to appoint an independent
prosecutor to prosecute this case? Or was that another typical Yaya promise
…..like I'll step down and become a farmer?
And for the lawyers participating in this fraud (that foreign chief justice
and Joseph Joof), they ought to be ashamed of themselves. They know that
this has nothing to do with justice; this is just a scheme to prolong Yaya's
impending demise. The Gambia Bar Association should call upon Joseph Joof to
resign his post as president. His participation in this Commission would add
some semblance of credibility to the findings of the Commission. So the Bar
Association should not let its name be tainted by this unprincipled man.
Although we know that a lot of the respectable lawyers in The Gambia pay
very little attention to the activities of the Bar Association and have very
little respect for the leaders of that Association, nevertheless, the
outside world does not understand the politics of that Association. All they
would see, is that the president of the Association is involved. They would
not stop to ask whether the president represents the whole Association or
not. We call upon the lawyers to stand up and denounce Joseph Joof's
participation in this Commission and also distance the Bar Association from
this fraud.
As for the other members of the Commission (especially the priest and the
two Alhajis) we would just remind you that God is watching your every move
and so are we. The day of reckoning is fast approaching; gone are the days
when people will do evil until their last day on earth and then would have
to wait for Day of Judgment. Nowadays, evil doers confront their sins here
on earth. What happened to Foday Sankoh should be at the forefront of your
minds. No one is immune except those who do good deeds.
The families who lost their loved ones deserve nothing but a swift
dispensation of justice. We should throw the book at the perpetrators of the
heinous acts on April 10 and 11. So if you cannot do the job, please don't
put the families through another ordeal.



>From: TOMBONG SAIDY <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Commission of Inquiry
>Date: Thu, 18 May 2000 01:39:00 PDT
>
>Below are the members of the Commission of Inquiry,
>
>Peace
>
>Tombong
>
>PRESS RELEASE
>
>
>APPOINTMENT AND SWEARING IN OF CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION OF
>INQUIRY INTO THE PUBLIC DISTURBANCE OF 10TH AND 11TH APRIL 2000
>
>
>His Excellency The President of the Republic of The Gambia acting under the
>powers conferred on him by Section 200 of the Constitution of the Republic
>of The Gambia 1997 has appointed the following as Chairman and Member of
>the
>Commission of Inquiry into the Public Disturbances of 10th and 11th April,
>2000.
>
>
>HON. JUSTICE FELIX M. LATERY (Chief Justice)-                 CHAIRMAN
>MR. JOSEPH H. JOOF (President of Bar Association)-              MEMBER
>ALHAJI OUSMAN JAH (Supreme Islamic Council)     -               MEMBER
>REVEREND TITUS PRATT (Methodist Mission)        -               MEMBER
>MR. BAI NDONGO FAAL     (President Chamber of Commerce)         MEMBER
>MR. JAMES M. B. ABRAHAM (Writer)                        -       MEMBER
>MR. KEBBA SARR                                          -       MEMBER
>ALHAJI MOMODOU OUSMAN NJIE                              -       MEMBER
>
>The Chairman and members of the Commission were sworn in before His
>Excellency The President on Friday 12th 2000.
>
>
>                                Solicitor General & Legal Secretary
>                                Department of State for Justice
>                                Banjul
>
>
>________________________________________________________________________
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>
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