ay 23, October 2000 More than five years after his death KORO'S FAMILY STILL AWAIT POST-MORTEM REPORT More than four months after the APRC government said it had appended a post-mortem report on late Finance Minister Koro Ceesay among its defence statement to the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights Sainey Ceesay the distraught father of Koro has claimed that he has not received such a report despite a promise by the government to that effect. Mr. Ceesay who said he will always be interested in getting to the bottom of the mystery surrounding his son's death, said he was never aware of any post-mortem report about his 'late boy' emanating from the government. Mr. Ceesay claimed that news of the government's so-called post-mortem report to the Commission reached him as a 'big surprise' invoking a sense of disbelief since according to him the government had been silent over the issue for a long time. He said individuals representing the state had told him that they would send him any post-mortem report after some investigation concerning his late son who was found burnt to death in his official vehicle in June 1995. Mr. Ceesay said following his son's funeral the then AFPRC junta had sent a delegation to his family with a 'firm promise' to investigate the incident, which claimed his son's life. Mr. Ceesay pointed out that although he has written 'countless' letters to the government reminding them of their promise, he has received no reply to inquiries about the way Koro Ceesay died. According to Mr. Ceesay who is a former primary school headmaster, save for reports he had read from a local newspaper, suggesting that the government had issued a Koro-related post-mortem report in its defence to the African Commission against ex- president Jawara's allegations of human rights abuses, torture and killing in The Gambia since 1994, he has not been contacted by the government over the issue since. According to the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights a post-mortem report on Koro Ceesay was tendered to it by the APRC government, claiming that the Finance Minister had died in an accident while using a state vehicle, which was found burnt beyond recognition near Jambur. It denied killing Koro as alleged by ex President Sir Dawda Jawara. The Commission had also revealed that another report on former AFPRC spokesman Sadibou Hydara had asserted that he died of high blood pressure. Meanwhile Sainey Ceesay, sounding hoarse told The Independent that although the passing of his son four years ago is irrevocable, Koro's family would at least start to lay worrying thoughts of his death to rest, if they are told the truth surrounding the incident. As part of allegations tendered to the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights Sir Dawda Jawara, the former Gambian President had claimed that the military government had 'killed Koro' and other Gambians who had fallen foul of the then administration. We were however unable to obtain a copy of the post mortem report from the African Commission. _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. Share information about yourself, create your own public profile at http://profiles.msn.com. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html You may also send subscription requests to [log in to unmask] if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your full name and e-mail address. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------