I do not think we should waste our time on why Jawara did not lobby for
an amnesty for his colleagues.  The real issue is the legality of the
amnesty itself.  How can some one who insults Gambians by telling them
that he put his life on the line for them and runs Gambia as his
personal property give an amnesty for alleged crimes he shamelessy and
routinely commits.  It is a joke when Yahya Jammeh goes about dishing money
that he cannot account for all over the place giving amnesty to someone
for corruption.  All the crimes that Jawara and his team are alleged to
have committed in thirty years Jammeh and his cronies have surpassed in
eight years.  As far as I am concerned Yaya Jammeh is worse than
Jawara.  If there is anybody who should face a commission into corrutption it
is Yaya Jammeh.  After all some of the very people whose properties
were seized had them not only returned but even promoted.  Jammeh has
shown that he is not interested in justice for Gambians.  All you need to
do inorder not to face the commission is to join the APRC and heap
praises on Yaya Jammeh.

The idea that that Yaya is doing those alleged to have committed
economic crimes a favor is absurd.  Nobody should face a commission when Yaya
will not.  I challenge the judiciary and the legislature to ask Yaya to
face the same commission.  Otherwise we should forget about the amnesty
crap.  Where I believe Jawara made a mistake is not the fact that he
did not negotiate for the inclusion of others in the amnesty.  Rather it
is the fact he took the amnesty itseff.  Just like the politicians who
went into hibernation until Yaya lifted his ban, it wolud appear that
Jawara is in The Gambia because of Yaya's benevolence.  It is a sad
feeling that Jawara went to The Gambia at the pleasure of someone who took
power by force and committed committed crimes worse than Jawara.
Rather than accept the amnesty, Jawara and all the alledged criminals should
if they choose go to The Gambia and agree to face the commision only if
Yaya and his cronies will do the same.  I called on all those accused
of crimes under Jawara not to accept any offer of amnesty from a
government whose leader is the embodiment of corruption.  To accept an amnesty
from Yaya Jammeh is an insult.

Lamin Sanneh




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