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Subject:
From:
Alpha Robinson <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
The Gambia and related-issues mailing list <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Tue, 11 Jul 2000 22:55:03 +0200
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Ebou Jallow,

Let me make it clear that I have no intention to "judge" you or
"dictate" to you in any way. I would rather like to think that I was
trying to shift the discussion from being speculative to a fruitful one
with substance. Frankly speaking, I would not have even commented on the
issue if you had not indicated both your innocence and your willingness
to offer "proof" to back your assertions. The quotations reproduced
below gave me the impression that you are convinced of your innocence.

"All these people haping about that $3M, ranting and raving their lungs
out should know that I have never done anything
illegal and I am a complete gentleman."...

..."For now live with this- no $3M was stolen from the Gambia
Government.  The funds tranferred to Credit Lyonnais was received in
cash from Mr. Phillippe Bidawid with the clear instructions of Yaya
Jammeh.  I hired a plane from
Geneva and flew direct to Banjul and handover all the proceeds of the
$3M transfer to Yaya Jammeh at the State House."

And then your made the following statement to Saul Khan:

"If you doubt what I said, ask around some prominent Gambians in Uk or
US.  Besides you can ask my lawyer, Mr. Jean Patry of Gmuer, Pestalozzi
and Patry, the biggest law firm in Switzerland."

I was therefore under the impression that you were making it clear to
everyone that you are innocent and that you had no problems with people
contacting those who are better informed to confirm the credibility of
your statements. I did not have the impression that you had any problems
with this being done on the L either. I therefore thought instead of
going on and on with accusations and counter accusations, it would be
better to get to the facts in everyone's interest. You even wrote to
Saul: "If you have doubts then they are baseless cause you can't proove
otherwise without a circulatory argument." On the other hand there were
clear indications that some believed otherwise and didn't seem to have
problems taking up issue with you on the L either. It was on these
grounds that I suggested the following, in order to facilitate the
process:

"..I would therefore gladly contact your lawyer to ask for information
relating to the 3 Million US Dollar case and
report to the List. As you know, this process will be much easier if the
Lawyer and the Firm have a written authority from you. I would therefore
kindly ask you to write to them, and send a copy to the List, giving
them authority to answer
openly, without reservation, every question asked pertaining to the
case. We can then formulate questions on the List which will be
forwarded to him. Likewise, his answers will be forwarded to the List
for further discussion. I trust you
will go a long way to clear many rumours and allegations in this way.
What do you think? I look forward to a lively and interesting exercise."

Of course, Ebou everyone knows that Gambia-L has no judicial powers, nor
does it have the might to force anyone to do certain things or behave in
a certain manner. So I don't think anyone seriously harbours such
illusions. What I thought was that you, being so innocent, would jump on
the initiative to demonstrate before everyone that you have nothing to
hide. That's why I thought it was going to be a lively and interesting
exercise. Anyway, it seems that's not the case. So let it be so. But,
honestly, I still do not understand why I should be the target of your
insults and accusations.

As far as I am concerned this matter is laid to rest. I would, however,
like to engage you on another issue. You seemed to have been insinuating
on many occasions since the $3M was raised, that people on the Bantaba
are just talking without acting. Take these two quotations for example:

"What can they do or what have they done so far besides spending their
lifes away on a computer keyboard.  If you value
freedom, liberty and democracy that much then you should be able to
sacrifice your mortal selve for a cause that has meaning to your soul."

"I told you people before this forum is not a court of law but a
"Bantaba"- historically that means a place where lazy grumpy men gather
around a tree talking gibberish and puffing hot air whilst their women
break their backs under the sun."

I would like to challenge you to come up with concrete and realistic
suggestions for meaningful action. That will help us all to move on and
transform us from being lazy grumpy men to women and men in action for a
better future.

I apologise for all these repetition. I felt they were necessary to make
my position clear.

Alpha Robinson

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